Scorched Earth
by J. Idanian
Summary: In the southern Earth Kingdom, a stubborn miner, bound in iron, dreams of freedom for his kingdom, a broken warrior, haunted by the ghosts of the past, finds a friend, a mysterious merchant, grasping for every advantage, searches for allies, and a prisoner of war, sick at heart, must choose sides. Together, the four of them will stand against a world at war. Please read and review.
1. Blood from a Stone

A/N: This is the second version of the story and owes whatever quality it may possess to two incomporable editors, PetertheChameleon, author of The Pipa Player, and Sylvacoer of DeviantArt. I salute them and their work, you should go and look at it. After you've finished reading this, of course. After a long time, I've finally finished revising the chapters I've already written and am moving into new territory. I own nothing regarding The Last Airbender, though I wish I did, and this story is dedicated above all to my readers and editors, the people who make it all worthwhile. Reviews are my ambrosia and reviewers the cupbearers of the gods, so to speak. If you had the time to read through this, I'd very much appreciate hearing what you thought of it, it will help me greatly. Also, it makes it more likely I'll take requests for my other story, the Temple of the Spirit. But in any case, I hope you enjoy the show

* * *

Jomei brought his pick down, stone cracking under the blow. His bones vibrated under the impact, and there was a dull ache building in his powerful arms. He was used to that. What he was not used to were the chains on his wrists and ankles. The Fire Nation had not been kind to his village.

"Keep it moving, people! The major wants those new shafts sunk by the end of the week!" That would be their overseer, Kanetsu. The miner bared his teeth at the man's voice. Kanetsu wanted to see him dead, _would_ have seen him dead if not for orders to the contrary, but settled for singling him out for punishment. And he handled a whip like no one else Jomei knew. The scars on the miner's back were proof of that. But one day, if he were very lucky, he would turn his pick against his oppressors.

For a brief moment, he considered the weapon in his hands. It wasn't really meant to be a pick at all. His heavily callused fists gripped the gnarled wooden handle of a warhammer. The massive head was made of blackened steel, and balanced with a great spike. It might not be the equal of those in the hands of the Earth Army, but it had been his great-grandfather's, his grandfather's and it was now his. As punishment for lifting it against the Fire Nation, now he dug ore with it. Since it wasn't suited to the task, the work was harder and longer, and eventually the mighty hammer would snap like a twig. Even now, after only one week since he'd been told to use it, the spike had long since gone dull.

"Hey!" The crack of Kanetsu's whip by his ear snapped him out of his reverie. "Enough daydreaming! Get back to work!"

Cursing inwardly, Jomei fought down the urge to turn and hurl his hammer at the man, and instead, brought it down on the rock once again, the spike barely scratching the tough stone. He worked on tirelessly. If things stayed the same, the rest of his life would be painful and short.

* * *

When the day's work was over, they made the long journey back to the world of light, what little there was of it. Twilight lay heavy over Teoro Village, and the surrounding mountains were black shadows against the darkening sky as a ragged line of miners made their way slowly down to the village. The autumn winds were cold and bitter, carrying the promise of snow, and the trees were nearly barren, their few remaining leaves brown and dead. Winter came early in the mountains. Jomei marched at the rear, under Kanetsu's watchful eyes.. He was drenched in sweat, coated in gritty rock dust, and very, very tired. But he still stood straight and tall, carrying his hammer over his shoulder as though he could still swing it, his long stride carrying him forward at a steady, confident pace. He certainly looked imposing enough.

Jomei stood just over six feet, with a stocky frame, packed with corded muscle. He had worked the mines since he was fifteen winters, and it had made him strong. He could lift a two hundred pound boulder over his head—without earthbending—and run around the village twenty times without stopping to catch his breath. Tangled black hair, shorn at the neck, and kept out of his eyes by a green headband framed a craggy, rough-hewn face that seemed best suited to scowling, with a heavy brow and square jaw. Lines deeply graven into his gaunt cheeks told of too many meals missed and there was a fire smoldering in his brown eyes. His clothes were rags, patched and worn, and he went barefoot in earthbender fashion. A peasant's conical straw hat rode low on his head, casting his face in shadow, while a green glowcrystal on the brim cast a dim light out ahead.

_Who am I fooling?_ he wondered bitterly. _I can barely lift this damn hammer, let alone swing it_. Kanetsu's demands for greater production were not so large, but they added up, and after seven months, all the miners were dead tired at the end of the day. Another effective way of preventing rebellion. Get the people too tired to think straight. Of course, the usual punishments were nothing to sneeze at. He was still recovering from the beating he'd been given two days ago when he had 'accidentally' dropped his hammer on Kanetsu's feet. Unfortunately, no bones had broken, but the overseer couldn't walk without constant pain until his toenails grew back. Naturally, this put him in an even fouler mood than ever.

But Jomei had never given up. It was his will that drove him onward towards the day he would make his people's murderers pay for what they had done. It was the anger burning within him that gave his arms the strength to mine the ore that would aid his greatest enemy. And it was he who, with his own two hands would take the life of their leader, whose name was forever etched into his mind. _Takano._

With a great effort, Jomei forced his weariness away, and stood still straighter. _If they're waiting for me to break, they'll be waiting a long time_. But he and Kanetsu both knew that the overseer had all the time in the world.

Their prison was a low-roofed iron building on the outskirts of the village. Following one of Takano's more creative ideas, they had built it themselves. Jomei and his people had driven home every last rivet in their own cells. He knew exactly how impossible it was to break out and wished he didn't. The knowledge was always present, another reminder of the hopelessness of rebellion.

As the miners approached their prison, he spotted a ring of Fire Nation soldiers surrounding what were unmistakably more prisoners. They, like the miners, were chained together, with bent backs and blank, despairing looks.

The officer in charge stepped forward and bowed to Kanetsu. "Lieutenant Azarin of the 33rd Division at your service. I'm here on behalf of General Shu, with the replacements for the worker casualties you reported. No earthbenders, as requested."

Kanetsu's gaze swept over the little group, and he thrust out a finger, indicating one of them in particular. "We have had five casualties so far, Lieutenant. I count four workers here and one girl."

_Now that,_ Jomei thought, startled out of his disinterest, _is something different. _Taking a much closer look at those who were to join them in misery, he raised an eyebrow at the sight. One of them was, as Kanetsu had said, a girl, but not like any other that he had seen.

Loose brown hair, hacked short, as though she'd taken a knife to it, lifted on the breeze. Ragged, loose-fitting layers of brown clothes hung from her spare frame, fluttering with the slightest wind, her arms and legs swathed in cloth wrappings. Jomei's keen eyes noted dark stains-blood, old blood. Not hers, he'd bet. In spite of her shabby appearance, she reminded him of nothing so much as a blade. Thin, razor-edged, and dangerous. Deep green eyes looked out of a wind-worn and sun-darkened face with an intense and demanding glare. A blade had likely cut the deep notch in her ear and a thin red burn mark ran across one cheek. The last two fingers on her left hand were missing. Anyone who had survived such scars was either good or had unusually merciful opponents. Somehow, Jomei didn't think the latter was the case.

Azarin gave Kanetsu a sour look that suggested he had just eaten a mouthful of coal dust. "This _girl_ killed three of my soldiers while dead drunk, and one of them a veteran firebender that I knew quite well and whose skill I can vouch for. I'm sure that she can handle a pick well enough to keep things running around here." Despite his words, he flinched under the scorching glare that Kanetsu turned on him.

"If women could be miners, I wouldn't have had to send for replacement workers, now would I? What she will do is slow us down, and I have quotas to fill. If she did indeed kill some of our soldiers, it only means that she'll be more trouble for me, and I have enough to do keeping this mine productive without having to take precautions against anything she might do. When the major hears of this, you will be lucky to-"

"When the major hears about what?"

Kanetsu spun around, snapping to attention, and Jomei tensed, his scowl deepening. He knew that voice. Knew it and hated it. Turning around, he saw the man who had ruined his life. Major Takano.

Takano looked every inch his rank. He had the traditional Fire Nation topknot, the gold eyes of a firebender, and clear-cut, commanding features. Unlike some firebenders, he knew how to use a weapon, and to use it well at that. The hilt of the sword at his hip was worn from much use. Takano was well respected by his men-at least when they were at war. He was an honorable, intelligent person, and made sure that the miners were treated well-as well as reason permitted, anyway.

But when it came down to it, when the stakes were high, he was just as ruthless and cruel as Kanetsu ever was…maybe even more so. Jomei hated him all the more for that, for cloaking his nation's bloodthirst under the high ideals he spoke of. Order. Civilization. The glorious rule of the Fire Lord. After a century of a war that had consumed everyone and everything he had ever loved, Jomei knew one thing: There was no excuse and no forgiveness for Takano or his people. Jomei was a citizen of the Earth Kingdom, and would never accept the rule of the Fire Nation. Nothing short of death would alter that fact.

"Major." Kanetsu did not bother to disguise the annoyance in his greeting, or to offer so much as a nod to his superior officer. It was no secret that the two were at each other's throats. Takano thought the miners could be won over with a combination of harsh punishments for failure and generous rewards for obedience. Kanetsu thought that idea was unbelievably _stupid_ and Teoro should be governed according to martial law. Jomei himself preferred honest brutality. Since Kanetsu was a mere sergeant and Takano a major, it was Takano's methods that were employed, though, and Kanetsu took out his frustration on the miners' backs.

To add insult to injury, Takano refused to give Kanetsu a transfer until he thought he'd learned respect for and understanding of his charges. Takano wanted a cultured warrior, a warrior who could govern fairly and justly. He saw Kanetsu as another of his pet projects and Kanetsu treated that notion with the contempt it deserved. This vicious cycle resulted only in greater misery for Jomei and Teoro, seven long months of it.

Takano raised an eyebrow. "Well, Sergeant? When I hear about what?"

Growling low in his throat, Kanetsu declared, gesturing to the new arrivals, "We have received replacements for the worker casualties, but as you can see, there are not enough of them, and they are hardly suited to the task."

Takano ran a critical eye over the line, and replied, "We've lost five people, and I count five there. Am I to understand you cannot count correctly, Kanetsu?" He didn't bother to mention the girl, but his opinion on the matter was clear.

"No, sir," Kanetsu gritted out through clenched teeth. "Rather, one of them is incapable of making any real contribution."

Takano dismissed this argument.

"You are a fool if you think so. I see nothing to complain about, so you will cease making pointless accusations and get on with settling them in." To Azarin, he called, "You and your men are dismissed, Lieutenant; report to the mess if you're hungry and our quartermaster can find room for you in our barracks." Azarin bowed once again, and led his company off into the darkness.

Kanetsu bristled at hearing his little tirade so easily ignored, but kept his temper under control.

"Yes, sir," he muttered, shooting a hate-filled look at the girl. "I will ensure that they will live up to what is expected of them." Returning his gaze to Takano, he continued pointedly, "They will serve as an example of what it means to earn the Fire Nation's displeasure, and be properly motivated as necessary."

Takano's face darkened. "_I_ decide what is expected of them, Master Sergeant. _And_ what is expected of you. Do what you must, of course, but no unnecessary examples and no unneeded motivation. A happy worker will get you farther than a miserable one, don't forget."

"I would not think of it, sir," Kanetsu assured him. Jomei snorted derisively. _No, you'll go straight to ignoring it and start flaying people for stumbling._

With that, Takano moved off, leaving them in Kanetsu's hands. Hands already drenched in blood and likely would be again before the morning. The slightest excuse would be enough to punish the prisoners. Kanetsu glared at the miners, looking for the least hint of defiance. None of them looked him in the eye. Except Jomei, who met his gaze without fear. Kanetsu smiled cruelly in anticipation.

"You!" he snapped, pointing at Jomei. "Do you have a problem?"

"No," Jomei replied flatly.

Leaning in close, Kanetsu asked, his voice low and dangerous, "No, what?"

Jomei knew what he wanted to hear. _No, sir._ But he refused to give any of the Fire Nation soldiers the satisfaction of acknowledging them as his superiors. He had some pride left, at least.

"No, I don't have a problem."

"You trying to be funny, or do you like being punished, Jomei?"

Jomei only smirked. "Neither. Speaking of which, how are the feet doing?"

Kanetsu matched Jomei's smile with one of his own, showing off a few missing teeth. "Better than you will be tomorrow." This time, at least, he refrained from punctuating his remark with anything, and turned to address the new prisoners, satisfied that he had made his point.

"I am Master Sergeant Kanetsu, overseer of this mine, and your master from now on. You are to address me at all times by either my rank or 'sir.' Am I understood?" A mumbled chorus of 'yes sir' drifted up from the group. The girl's voice was among those raised, to Jomei's disappointment.

Kanetsu continued, pacing back and forth, "I'll keep things simple. You'll all die sooner or later. My job is to ensure that you do it working. I take my job seriously. So, anyone who lives, works. Anyone who works, lives." He paused for effect. "Get used to the dark. It's where you'll be doing all of that."

By now, the last vestiges of twilight had vanished, and the night sky was lighting up with stars. A crescent moon was rising. Under other circumstances, Jomei would have called it beautiful. Now, it only reminded him of what he had lost.

"Corporal Chang!"

One of the firebenders stepped forward. "Sir?"

"Show the prisoners to their cells." Stepping closer, Kanetsu added in a low voice, "And put the desert rat in with that fool Jomei. With any luck they'll kill each other and rid us of two problems at once." With that, the line began moving. Jomei and his fellows descended into the depths of their prison once again, their new companions falling in behind. Jomei knew how they felt. The first night was the hardest, watching your life slowly slip away…and then when you were shut in, and everything went quiet…it hit you. You were going to be there for a long, long time.

* * *

As his cell door clanged shut, Jomei wished mightily for his hammer, currently keeping their jailer company until morning. The weapon still held together, but it worried him...as did his new cellmate. She was little more than a black shape in the darkness of the little room, lit only by the faint light coming in through the narrow, barred window. Tossing his hat aside, he remarked to the girl,

"You're not like the others. Why'd you go and lick his boots like the rest of them?"

"Hm?"

"I thought I saw a warrior," he clarified. "Was I wrong?"

She crossed her arms, and replied in a strange flowing accent, "If you believe that a warrior's duty is to get herself beaten to a bloody pulp, then yes, you are wrong."

The darkness gave their conversation a confidential, hushed quality, almost intimate in its confines, particularly since her face was mostly hidden.

Jomei frowned. _She's got a mouth, huh? Well I can deal with that if it means getting out of here. At least she's honest about it. I can respect that._

He offered his left hand.

"I'm Jomei of Teoro Village."

After a moment's hesitation, she held out her right hand. He shrugged and accepted it. Her skin was cool to the touch, though she had quite a grip for her size. He smiled slightly.

"I am Reki of-" She cut herself off abruptly and amended, "Just Reki." Jomei didn't question her. Some things it wasn't right to ask about. On the other hand, he needed to know what she was planning...and if it contradicted his own plans.

"So, is it true?"

"About the soldiers, you mean?" She chuckled bitterly. "Yes, it's true, although for the life of me I can't remember it. The last thing I remember is telling the bartender I didn't want to see the bottom of my glass. Then I woke up in chains, with bloody clothes."

Jomei raised an eyebrow._ I knew that was blood. _"Why in such a hurry to drown yourself in _jari_?" _Not like there isn't enough problems for you already._

"Does it matter?"

He shrugged. _Not my business._

"I suppose not. Are you any good with a sword?"

She stepped forward into the shaft of light that spilled in through the window, letting him see her face. The silver glow highlighted the hard, angular lines there. Then she smiled, a chilling expression that did not reach her eyes, and raised her hands. "I was born to the blade. Don't let this half-hand of mine fool you, I'm just as good with the other one. Is there somebody you want dead?" She sounded utterly calm about the idea, and Jomei suppressed a shiver, feeling his blood run cold. He'd killed before, yes, but to get to a point where you didn't even care who or why you were killing…that scared him. He closed his eyes.

"Yes, but not right now." Leaning in close, he lowered his voice even further, to a quiet murmur. "I need to know if I can trust you."

Reki shook her head, laughing softly—a curious, brittle sound. "It's all too easy to betray someone's trust. There's nobody alive who knows that better than me. There's nothing I can say or do that will convince you." Here her tone turned sharp, and she eyed him with suspicion. "Besides, how do I know_ I_ can trust_ you_?

Jomei turned his back and began loosening his sash. "This is how you'll know. After six months in here I went completely mad and made a break for it. They caught me. Every Fire Nation soldier wanted me dead. Except Takano. He wanted to teach me a lesson, make me be a good little miner." He pulled off his shirt. "And he thought his lesson would take better if he used fire."

Reki's eyes widened. Jomei's back was criss-crossed with old scars from the lash, though most of them had healed well, and were only ridged lines, faint traces of what he had endured. The bruises of two days ago were fading fast, and were only yellowish patches, barely discernible. But running from one shoulder down the left side of his back, there was outlined, in the deep red of burn scars, a line of simplified characters that read '_Jomei, prisoner of the Fire Nation_'. The marks still ached sometimes with the memory of the agony that had created them.

_Takano looked down on him sternly._

"_I want you to know you've brought this on yourself. I have made every effort to make conditions here as comfortable as possible, and in return, you have betrayed my trust." Jomei, tied to the wooden frame where Kanetsu's punishments took place, glared up at him, eyes burning with pain and near-mindless fury. Behind Takano, the pathetic whimpers of the five villagers, his foster family, all bearing whip weals across their backs, tore at his very soul. Kanetsu could scar a komodo rhino's hide if he was of a mind to._

_"You bastard!" the miner snarled. "You're dead, you hear me, you're dead! When I get free, I'm going to rip open your belly and stake you out beside a fire-ant colony!"_

_"You'll be free when the war is over and you can be safe under Fire Nation rule."_

"_Screw your damn nation! I'll smash that too! You miserable coward! Fight me like a man instead of talking all that junk!"_

"_You'll be better off than you were before." Indicating the Fire Nation soldiers standing around them, Takano argued, "You're better protected and looked after now than you ever were under the Earth Kingdom. You'll have all the benefits of Fire Nation technology and culture. Be reasonable, there must be a thousand villages like Teoro in these mountains, it's not as if we're personally out to harm you. Why do you care who takes your ore?"_

_"I care who burned down half my village and killed my friends! You have my family whipped instead of me! You make us slaves so you can use our iron to kill more people! What, you think I'm just going to forget all that because you say you want to be nice now? Screw that! I'm not afraid of you!" Takano sighed, and nodded to Kanetsu, who stood nearby, looking thoroughly disgusted with the whole affair._

_Kanetsu called to the rest of the assembled prisoners, "All here will bear witness to these facts: The miner Jomei has made a rash and feeble attempt to turn traitor to the rulers of this village and run off. For this, he is sentenced to be forever marked as a prisoner of the Fire Nation. Let this be a reminder to all of you of the hopelessness of rebellion, and the price of betrayal." Takano's hand filled with fire, and slowly descended upon Jomei. The last thing he felt was pain._

Jomei pulled his shirt back on.

"That writing drove me sane again but it was a near thing." He shuddered at the memories. "A very near thing. Takano warned me if I tried anything, ever again, he'd have no choice but to let Kanetsu have his way and burn me alive. Just one slip, and it's over for 's how you know I can be trusted, and why I want to make good and sure you can be before I say anything."

Reki nodded slowly. "Perhaps I spoke too soon." The miner began to answer, but she cut him off, her voice laden with sarcasm and contempt. "You really are a damned fool, because only a fool would try to escape at all because the work is a little harder _and_ ignore the fact that his family will be punished for his stupidity as well! If that's what you call your noble struggle, I'd say you deserve what you got."

Jomei, a rising fury coloring his face, began an indignant reply, but she would have none of it, and talked on over him. "If you wanted to escape, have you never heard of patience, planning, thinking ahead of trying to fight your way out through the whole garrison? You might as well have stone for brains if that's the best idea you can come up with. I've heard better plans from children."

"I just told you I wasn't in my right mind at the time!" Jomei retorted angrily. "And at least I tried! At least I have the courage not to just lie down and give up like the rest of the village! I know I screwed up! I don't need you to tell me that."

Reki's voice turned poisonously sweet. "Of course not. It only took you getting innocent people whipped and your backside used for calligraphy practice for you to figure that one out. Your powers of perception are frightening."

Jomei threw up his hands in frustration, almost shouting, "Yes, dammit, I was an idiot, is that what you want to hear? I'll say it as many times as you like. And by the spirits I wish people were half as honest as you! But I'm not that person anymore! You don't understand!"

"The feeling is mutual but _what_ don't I understand?" Reki demanded.

"I'm the only one that can escape. Nobody else can."

"Why are you the only one? You don't consider anyone else worth anything?"

"No! I mean, yes! I mean-"

"Is this about your pride? You're not willing to admit you need help even when you know you do?"

"No, no, no!" Taking hold of Reki's shoulders, only a very short distance from completely losing his temper, he snarled, "Will you just shut up for one second and listen to me?" He felt her tense under his grip, and she said, speaking very slowly and precisely, with a complete lack of emotion, and a look colder than a midwinter storm, "You will take your hands off me or I will _snap_ them off." Jomei immediately let go his grasp, and stepped back slowly, suddenly very much aware of how stupid he had just been, yet again. _One of these days that temper is going to kill me. It's just…damn! The woman won't let me get a word in edgewise. I've got to be smart about this._

Taking a few deep breaths, he managed to calm down a little.

"Sorry about that. It's just…I have a bit of a temper, and…can you please let me finish?" She nodded. He explained, in a much more subdued voice, noting with relief that Reki seemed to have lost her desire to relieve him of his hands,

"If the other miners try anything, or are suspected of conspiring, Takano will punish their families, too." For once, Reki had nothing to say. Jomei understood. There was nothing to say. He continued,

"You might have noticed, Takano is a complete idiot, like I used to be. Only he's worse, because he doesn't have insanity as an excuse."

"Neither do you. You'd have to have a weak mind to lose it under this routine."

"Ever tried mining?"

"Ever tried war?"

"I plan to, very soon. But picture this: suppose you were in the middle of a battle and somebody supposedly on your side starts yelling at you about how you're doing things wrong, while stabbing you repeatedly but only enough to hurt like your blood is on fire. At the same time, your opponent chimes in with _his_ opinion on what you should be doing, which directly conflicts with your supposed ally, he's aiming to kill you and his blows actually hurt enough that they might just do it if you don't step up. And here's the kicker: Neither of them are right. Now imagine this going on for six months, sunrise to sunset, no breaks. Then you'll have an idea of what it's been like here. If you think my mind is weak, well, maybe you're right, but I'd like to see you last as long."

Reki considered this a moment.

"Perhaps you are right," she conceded, her own anger vanished. "And yes, I have seen your major's ineptitude for myself. You do not seem stupid enough to attempt a mad dash at freedom at the moment."

Jomei smiled grimly.

"Thanks, but wait until you hear the whole story. You may change your mind. Anyway, like I said, Takano will punish the other villager's families if they try to escape or help me escape so they won't do anything. I don't blame them for not all wanting to escape, that's impossible. But if one person could get away and come back with help, to free the village, now that's something they should get behind. Of course they won't. So I'll do it without their help. It has to be me anyway, because if I'm caught, it's just me who gets turned into charcoal. Takano would have no choice but to turn me over to Kanetsu, he gave his word, and Kanetsu, though a bullying bastard, isn't the type to hurt people without a better reason than to screw with my spirit."

He didn't bother explaining that it was his foster family who had suffered because of him. He had loved them like the real thing. His blood relatives either fought with the Earth Army or had joined their ancestors. The only one who might be alive was his sister, who had been born sick. She'd been sent off to Omashu when she was little, in hopes that the healers there could help her, but there'd been no news for years. Jomei didn't expect any.

"Now do you see why I'm the only one that can escape? You see why I defy them in any way I can? Sure, part of it is a personal matter. A matter of pride, courage, honor. But it's also about standing up for those who can't anymore."

"And what do they think of your little crusade?"

"You'd get along fine with them. They think I'm an idiot and a heartless traitor and they might just be right. But if that's what I have to be to free Teoro, I can do it. For their sake, even though they'll never appreciate it, I'll do it." He fixed Reki with a keenly interested look. "The question is what do you think?" She shook her head, and answered, with the embittered air of someone who had long ago lost hope,

"What chance do you think you have? You can't win this fight. All you're doing is making things harder for yourself. You'd be better off just doing what they say. No matter what you think, or what you do, we're still just prisoners of the Fire Nation. That's all. I know it. Everybody else knows it. Why don't you?"

"It looks like I was mistaken too," Jomei snapped, his temper flaring up once again, "Kanetsu was right, you really are just a spineless desert rat!" Reki waved her hand dismissively, showing no concern over his words, which only enraged him further.

He continued, pacing back and forth, muttering, "No courage. No honor. You hide your heads in the sand and let the rest of the world burn. Haven't you ever lost somebody you cared about?"

Almost too quietly to hear, she whispered, "Yes. My brother."

"Well, I bet your own cursed brother would be ashamed of-" That was as far as he got before her fist connected with his jaw. More surprised than hurt, he still fell heavily to the cold iron floor. Before he could shake off the blow, she was upon him, her arm pressing down against his neck.

"I'll get you for that, you-" Jomei choked out before she pressed down harder yet, turning anything he might have said into a wordless gurgling as he struggled for breath. Her face was twisted with rage, teeth bared, and he could see a cold light in those green eyes.

"Listen and listen well, Jomei," she ground out, "I care _nothing_ about what you think of my home, my people, or me, but you will _never_ insult my brother again, or I swear by Shenshai's fiery eyes, I will _kill you where you stand!_ Understand me?" Jomei took hold of her arm in both hands, and with a mighty heave, flung her off of him and scrambled to his feet, his breath rattling in his bruised windpipe. Reki was up again in an instant, but she made no move to attack. For a long moment, the two of them waited to see which one would give in. It was Jomei, who nodded slowly, mildly grateful that she couldn't see him blushing with shame. _Should've expected that after how she talked about making family suffer. I ain't got the right to insult her family when they're not around. Not even a heartless traitor does that._

"Reki," he said softly, "I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't think. As usual." If she'd been a villager, he would have reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, but that might just get him in even worse trouble, so he kept his distance and endured the fire behind those green eyes.

For a moment, Reki still looked at him as though she might just decide to go for his throat again. Then, she relaxed, the fight draining out of her, and her air of gloom returned.

She asked idly, "Do you know where I can get something to drink?"

Jomei was uncertain what to make of that.

"If that's a joke, it's in poor taste. We're not allowed anything stronger than water, as if you couldn't guess."

"It's not."

He shrugged. "Whether it is or it isn't doesn't change the fact that you're not getting anything like that. But before we get into that, will you help me?"

The silence following the question was murder on his already shot nerves. The desert warrior took her time in answering. But when she did, it was something he'd been waiting to hear for a long time.

"I will consider it."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, that's all I'm asking and it means a lot to me. Just not being alone anymore is pretty good from where I'm standing. Like I said, I'm not insane anymore. I know when to be patient. We'll talk more later. For now, get some sleep. Believe me, you'll need every bit of it."

With that, he pulled the thin blanket off the bunk, put it on the cold iron floor, and laid down on top of it, not bothering to take off his clothes. Reki walked over to the narrow, barred window, and, leaning against the bars, stared up at the starlit sky. Long after Jomei turned in, she still stood there, lost in thought, and in the darkness of the autumn night.


	2. Death on the Wind

A/N: Chapter Two revised. Once again, enjoy the show.

* * *

_Reki watched the sun rise over the Si Wong Desert, a peaceful smile softening her face. The sight never failed to enthrall her. In a barren land of sand, rock, and dust, where oases were few and far between, she had learned to seek out whatever fleeting beauty she could there. As that fiery sun crested the horizon, setting the skies aflame with colors, it turned the vast expanse of dunes into a subtle, flowing patchwork of light and shadow. The last of the night's chill lingered, not yet burned away by the heat of the day, but the constant desert breeze was warm and gentle against her face. It was perfect. Yet, something was not right. Everything seemed…muted somehow. The desert was strangely silent. Then, as the wind shifted, she smelled the unmistakable scent of blood._

_Whirling around, Reki beheld a sight that brought her to her knees, the liquid fire of tears stinging her eyes. Golden sands splashed with red, as if in mockery of the morning sky: her tribe, slaughtered. The great circle of tents and sand sailers that marked where the Hami tribe had made camp had become a place of death, bodies strewn carelessly across the sands. Those bloody heaps of rags were all that remained of a proud people. And the buzzard-wasps were feasting._

"_No…NO!" Rage beyond description came over her, and she ripped her sword free of the sheath, the curved saber flashing in the sun. Time seemed to slow as though she moved through water instead of air, each moment stretching out to eternity. The scrape of metal on leather as her sword slid out was deafening. Rising, she sprinted down towards the carnage, tears of anguish blurring her vision. A red haze fell over the world; she must find who did this, make them pay! As one of her footsteps broke the pattern of red upon the sands, time sped up again and abruptly, she was among the dead._

_Her saber lashed out, sending screeching buzzard-wasps scattering left and right before her, abandoning mangled and half-eaten bodies in their wake. Some of them didn't move fast enough and more blood splattered across the ground. And then there were no more left. She slowed down, seeing the carnage, again, for the first time. The bile surged into her throat and she had to look away. As it happened, her eyes fell on something both wonderful and terrible, that brought a measure of bitter satisfaction: A trail of blood leading into the chieftain's tent, still fresh._ My people will be avenged.

_Reki burst into the tent in a flurry of flashing steel, glancing left and right. She need not have bothered worrying about ambush. The murderer lounged in the intricately carved chair that was reserved for the chieftain alone, veiled in shadow. It was as if the sun dimmed just for them, the darkness behind them seemed alive, a shifting presence from which demonic whispering came. A delicate saber, twin to her own, lay unsheathed in the interloper's lap. However, this one was bloody and dripping, soaking the thirsty earth in a crimson puddle. _

_Her voice sounded in her ears, toneless in spite of her rage."Why have you done this?"_

_In contrast, the answer was full of cruel joy. "I did nothing."_

"_Liar." Reki did not raise her voice. That was not necessary when stating fact. "You sit in the midst of the dead, and yet you lie to me."_

_"It's true. If you want to know who to blame for this…" The murderer stood, and stepped forward into the light, revealing their face, and it was the face of a monster. "…blame yourself!" Her face._

_"No…" Reki whispered, stumbling backwards, her sword falling to the sand. "No! This is insane! I would never do this!" _

_The other advanced on her, laughing. "You can't keep lying about it. You and I both know what you are."_

_She could not move, save to hold up a shaking hand, trying to hold off the apparition, protesting frantically, "No! It wasn't me! I didn't do it!"_

"_You sit in the midst of the dead, and yet you lie to me. Look at your hands."_

_Reki's breath caught in her throat as she looked down. Blood, warm and red, coated her hands. A scream, like a tortured animal, tore its way out of her, piercing the ceiling of the tent. Voices, the whispers of those she had murdered, flooded her ears. Enemy sandbenders, Fire Nation soldiers, Earth Kingdom bandits, all of them joined to accuse her of their fate._

_Her counterpart intoned, "For your crimes, I sentence you to death." The bloody sword flashed down._

Reki awoke with a strangled shout, sitting bolt upright, her breathing fast and shallow. Frantically checking her hands for blood, she let out a sigh of relief. Nothing. But the memories lingered and sweat dripped from her forehead and down her back despite the freezing cold cell. It was not the chill night wind slithering through the window that made her shiver.

The dim starlight illuminated Jomei's sleeping form on the floor below. He didn't appear to have been disturbed, mumbling something unintelligible under his heavy breath. Reki lowered herself back down, murmuring, "Just a dream…just a dream…"

But cut off from the refuge of drink, they had been getting more frequent…and getting much worse, becoming hideous nightmares, visions of death, war, and hate. And every time, she was responsible for it all. She closed her eyes, trying to push the memories away, but knowing that the dreams would come again.

Jomei awoke, as he always did, to the clang of metal on metal, and the call to work.

"Come on, men. You can't be sleeping in all day, now. We're burning daylight!" The miner groaned. _The same damned thing every time. One of these days I'll knock his teeth out if he doesn't find some other way to give the call. _Yawning, he threw aside his blankets and got to his feet, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was no stranger to early rising, for a miner's day began with the dawn. But now…there was no dawn for him anymore, and he always awoke feeling like he hadn't slept. _Burning daylight, my scorched back._

Reki still lay on the bed, facing away from him. As he reached up to warn her that it was time to get up, she spoke before he even laid a hand on her.

"I'm awake. I couldn't sleep." As she stood, and turned to face him, he could see she was telling the truth. She looked like a body ready for the grave, the dark circles under her eyes visible even in the thin, pre-dawn light.

"So soon?" she murmured, stifling a yawn as she looked out the window, where most of Teoro still slumbered. "It can't be dawn yet."

"It isn't," Jomei answered grimly. "We get up before dawn and work until after dusk. Kanetsu wasn't joking about having seen your last sunset." He picked up his hammer and settled his hat firmly on his head. He had slept in his clothes, just like every other night.

Quietly, he advised, "Don't worry. It gets easier."

Reki shook her head slowly. "That's what worries me."

The miner had little comfort to offer to that, for she was right to be worried. In spite of himself, acceptance was creeping into his soul, dark and heavy. Instead, he offered a slight grin.

"Don't let it. Anyone who can knock me down can handle the mines."

She did not return the smile, but she did nod and answer, "I'll try." Their cell door swung open, and Jomei once again steeled himself for another day of life under the Fire Nation. It was not going to be a good day. But then again, it never was.

Breakfast was much the same affair as it had been even before Teoro was conquered. Takano and Kanetsu agreed—this was one of the few things they did agree on—that the miners worked better if well fed. However, Kanetsu, stingy bastard that he was, only gave them a short while to eat, so the hungry miners tore through their meal faster than a badgermole after genemite. Jomei had been chained alongside Reki, undoubtedly on Kanetsu's orders again, and he noticed that she preferred fingers to chopsticks. Also that rather than leaving them aside, she tucked one of them into her shirt.

Stopping the motion of his own chopsticks for a moment, Jomei said in a low voice, "They'll notice that's missing and search everyone. Kanetsu doesn't want anybody trying to put out a guard's eye. And the new prisoners will be the first ones they check. So unless you want to get real cozy with one of the soldiers, I'd put it back."

She looked up, then, after a moment's consideration, did as he suggested.

"Take a good long look at everything," he invited. "See what they do to us here."

"Are you alive?" she asked. "Are you starving or dying of thirst? Are all those things going to remain that way as far as you can see? If the answer to all those questions is 'yes,' you are doing well. Better than many people in the Si Wong, in fact. What they do is make you work for a living instead of killing and dying for one."

"And once it turns out you can't do that work, what do you think will happen to you?" Jomei replied. "The whole garrison will be delighted to have a woman they don't have to pay to bed with."

"Kanetsu does not seem like the type to get rid of even a bad worker when he has no replacements available," Reki pointed out mildly.

"So you'll have a double workload. He'd like that even better."

"He is subordinate to Takano and that fool would not stand for it." She stopped eating and looked him in the eyes. "Stop trying to scare me."

Jomei winced, looking down. _Right, I forgot about Takano's lack of brains. And about how damn unnerving Reki can be._

"Sorry," he muttered. "I just don't want you to get killed or worse before you make your decision. You're the only person who might even consider helping me. I just want you to understand the kind of things these people do, the kind of lowlife scum they are." He had to concentrate to stop himself from snapping the chopsticks between his fingers with the force of his hatred.

"They are little different from the kind of people I used to know. You need not worry on my account."

He shook his head.  
"Then you must have had quite a life is all I can say. That desert sounds like a real wasteland with people to match."

For the first time since they entered the hall, a look of sudden interest came over her face and a little passion crept back into her voice.

"What have you heard about the Si Wong, then? Doubtless there are stories."

Jomei shrugged.

"I don't put any trust in anything I haven't seen myself. But," he admitted, "I have heard stories. I've heard they're a pack of ruthless savages that drink blood as often as water, fight each other like civil war is a way of life, and leave those they find lost in the desert to die, among other things."

She was studying him with the same keen interest that he'd shown when asking her opinion.

"And if I told you all of that is true? What would you think?"

This time he met her eyes squarely.

"I'd be glad. It'd mean that if you decide to help me, I'd have someone who'll do anything. I could use someone like that."

Reki lowered her head, and for a moment he thought he saw a crack in her aura of gloom, a hint of deep and abiding pain. Then it was gone, leaving him to wonder if he had imagined it, and she only glared at him with renewed strength, leaving him to wonder what he'd said.

"Anyway," he concluded rather lamely, "That's only if it's true."

"Those stories are exaggerations, but they have more than a grain of truth. There is one outright falsehood among them, though."  
He frowned.

"Oh? What's that?"

Reki's eyes acquired a dangerous glint, very similar to how she had first looked when he saw her in the prisoner line-up, and she began to sound as though she truly _believed_ in what she said.

"They are _not_ savages. They are a harsh people, yes, but they are what the land has made them. You cannot fight the desert. You either live by its ways, or not at all. The weak die, the strong survive. Some think it savage. _They_ have not been through a sandstorm in the middle of the Womb of Fire. Spend a year in the Si Wong, and you are more than welcome to disagree."

Jomei raised an eyebrow.

"Relax, I believe you. Well, on that subject, what about _sandbending?_ That's another story I've heard."

Reki waved dismissively, sinking back into her little world. The fire was gone from her eyes. "Doesn't matter. If you haven't escaped by now, you aren't going to without a miracle. It doesn't matter what style you use. And I think that somewhere, no matter what you claim, you know it." Turning back to the food, she murmured in a lower voice, "You know full well that we'll die here. All you're doing is lying to yourself, and you'll go mad if you keep on that way. Just leave me alone."

To that, Jomei had no reply, but whatever rapport they had achieved had been shattered. He struggled to control the furious rage that she stirred up so easily, with all her talk of surrendering to what had happened. _Fool of a desert rat! There's no way I'm dying here! _He shoved his bowl away angrily, still half-full, and picked up his hammer. He wasn't hungry anymore.

* * *

The steady ring that marked the rise and fall of the miners' picks sang in Jomei's ears. His hammer felt a little lighter in his hands as he steadily worked his way forward into the depths of the earth. The familiar rhythm of the work was a poor comfort, but it was the only reminder of a life he could never go back to._ When the time comes, I'll see every soldier that survives entombed down here. Let them die as they made us live. Hopeless and alone…in the dark._ There was no such thing as an innocent from the Fire Nation. They had made the choice to take up the war, and it would cost them. _I'll show them the same mercy they showed us. And if the commoners don't feel like leaving, then...maybe I could...it doesn't have to...no, they die! Don't start thinking like that again._

Shaking his head to pull himself out of the darkening turn his thoughts were taking, Jomei glanced over at Reki, who, along with a few other miners, was hard at work shoveling the excavated stone into a mine cart. Ideally, they would have used earthbending for the task, and for moving the carts up the long path to the surface where they would be dumped in the old quarry pit that had provided the stone to build Teoro. But of course, they'd outlawed earthbending. Takano had given a lot of reasons for that particular edict. Jomei only needed one. _They're afraid of us. Afraid of what we can do. They don't want to be reminded of it and they don't want us to be reminded of it. Because then, we might actually get ideas._

Jomei kept an eye on Reki as she worked. She might feel differently about helping him after today, for she was sweating heavily, struggling to keep up the pace that Kanetsu set. She might have been as good a swordswoman as she claimed, but she was visibly tiring under the strain. Mining was hard work at the best of times. Reki's shovel moved slower and slower, despite some hefty 'encouragement' from Kanetsu's whip. At least he hadn't made any examples yet. _And that_, Jomei mused, _is about all I can hope for._

As he cracked off another chunk of stone, kicking it backwards towards the piles already accumulated, he felt a tremor run through the earth under his feet. He stopped in his tracks, instantly on the alert, listening for the slightest sound of anything out of the ordinary._ If that was what I thought it was…but how could it be? We've been working this area for weeks! We should have noticed something like that by now. It can't be that. Just my imagination. I'm jumping at shadows. I'm going crazy again. Anything but that._ Feeling no other sign of disturbance, he shook his head, and brought the hammer down again. This time, the results were much more noticeable.

A second tremor, stronger, sent a shiver through the stone in front of him, and this time, it didn't die out. It grew stronger. _Much_ stronger. A fiendish spiderweb of cracks raced across the floor, climbed into the walls, and zigzagged across the ceiling with a horrific snapping sound, like hundreds of trees before an avalanche. One by one, thin streams of dust began to fall. All around him, the work ground to a halt, a collective dread settling over the miners like a shroud. Picks and shovels fell forgotten to the ground.

Kanetsu no longer bellowed orders, but demanded, his voice tight with fear, "What's going on? What is this?" A low rumble was rising, and the mine began shaking around them. Jomei whirled around, his eyes wide, and screamed, his voice fading in the terrible roar, "_Cave-in!_"

With that, the full fury of the earth broke upon the hapless mortals that had dared to venture into its heart. Huge, jagged chunks of rock rained down, and dust ran in great waterfalls as the tunnel began to collapse around them. A boulder slammed into Reki's back, throwing her to the ground and pinning her under its weight. The chain running through Jomei's arm cuffs snapped taut, and he stumbled over next to her to give his arms enough slack to move the way he needed to.

He could see the fear in her eyes as she strained to lift it off, knowing that she would never do it in time. Jomei stood his ground, letting his hammer fall. Running was less than useless, as were weapons. There was only one way out of this, and that was to meet the rocks head-on, with the power and strength of the art that was engraved into his bones—earthbending.

Jomei bellowed a challenge to the earth, a wordless battle cry, his deep voice rising above the sound of shattering rocks and crumbling walls. He shifted into the low horse stance that was the staple of his art with a forceful stomp, and, digging his toes into the ground, raised his hands towards the ceiling, struggling to manage the incredible weight that suddenly pressed down on his shoulders.

Earthbending, despite what the Fire Nation might say about it being brutish savagery, was a profoundly spiritual art, where one became _aware_ of the surrounding earth, _felt_ its immense strength, and _bent_ that strength to your will. The effort nearly broke him in the first few seconds, and he cried out once more at a sudden, wrenching pain that shot through every nerve, as he slowly lost the battle with the mountain above his head. But then, his load became easier to bear as the others joined their will to his.

Looking over his shoulder, Jomei grinned at what he saw. The other earthbenders among the miners had, like him, known what they had to do, and now, they worked together to hold off death. For a fleeting moment, it felt like they were free again, despite the dire peril. The mine stopped shaking, and the rumbling died away slowly as the shattered stone around them, in defiance of what gravity demanded of it, came to a halt. Even the dust slowed to complete stillness, hanging in the air like a gray mist. In the dim light of the remaining crystals, it looked like time stood still in that mine.

It took Reki a little while to realize that she was still alive, and she looked up, surprised, at Jomei's shadowy form, every vein and sinew standing out on his thick arms. The miner slowed his breathing with no little effort, concentrating every ounce of energy on the stone hanging above his head. His voice, ragged and out of breath, still boomed in the eerie silence that had fallen.

"Kanetsu," he ordered, "loose our chains so we can run. Everybody that isn't an earthbender, get out of here." The Fire Nation soldiers didn't need to be told twice, and were gone in seconds, vanishing up the length of the tunnel. Kanetsu's attention, however, was entirely focused on the enormous stalactite that was poised mere inches above his nose. He looked as though he desperately wanted to move, but was frozen to the spot, unsure if moving would bring his doom down upon him.

"Kanetsu!"

Snapping out of his daze, Kanetsu shattered the offending rock with a burst of flame, attempting to regain lost ground by snarling, "Don't you dare order me around! I ought to leave you down here for that!" However, he took the key ring from his belt, and began unlocking the earthbenders, faster than Jomei had ever seen him move. Jomei couldn't help but smirk when he saw Kanetsu still glancing warily at the hundreds of tons of stone over his head as he worked.

Jomei, lacking the delicate touch required for what would happen next, remained as he was while Chuansuo, the former foreman, and a select few miners went to work. Though he tried to clear his mind of distractions, he was unable to stifle a pained grunt as the load on his back grew heavier. Cracks knitted themselves back together, quick columns of stone were thrown up, the tunnel walls were thickened, and one earthbender lifted the rock off Reki.

Kanetsu had, instead of unlocking each miner's cuffs, unlocked the long chain that bound them all together, and iron links rattled as he reeled it in, thus freeing them to run, which they did as fast as their legs could carry them. Reki kept pace with them, but Jomei could see she was hurting. She had trouble straightening up all the way, and favored her left side. Kanetsu, having finished his work with the chain, followed close on her heels without a backwards glance.

Soon enough, the shoring was as stable as it was ever going to get. With a final downward thrust of their hands the workers cleared the dust out of the air, and gave a nod to Jomei, who, since he had taken charge of the situation, was the one who had to give the order. It was time to go. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, closing his eyes. _This is it._

"On three," he called, "One…two…_three!_" As one, the earthbenders turned and ran. Jomei lingered to snatch up his hammer and followed after, one hand clamped on his hat. The walls of the mine blurred red as he pushed himself to greater and greater speed, following the memorized route to escape. _Left by the Dragon's Claws, through the middle of the Needle, left again past the Gates…_ One of the miners tripped on a protruding jag of stone, falling heavily to the ground. Skidding to a halt, Jomei slammed a foot down, knocking the man back onto his feet with a stone column, shouting, "Move, move, move! Keep going!" Now at the very back of the group, he cursed silently, and tried to run faster, bare feet slapping against stone.

They reached the main shaft of the mine just as he felt the ground begin to shake again. It was a wide, open space stretching one hundred paces across, whose bottom was lost to darkness. Far, far away, at the very top, he could see a faint patch of light that marked where the entrance tunnel ended. The other miners and soldiers were waiting for them, shouting at them to hurry up. The Fire Nation had installed a great iron platform that was operated by chains and winches. That was not going to be fast enough, and everyone knew it.

Four earthbenders, standing on the edge of the shaft, wrenched a huge stone slab out of one of the walls, and raised it up to where everyone began rushing onto it. Things were starting to crack apart again, and as Jomei leapt onto the slab, everyone screaming at the earthbenders to get moving, they shot upwards. Jomei was glad he had kept one hand on his hat as the force of their passage evoked winds that tore at anything not bolted down. Digging his other hand into the stone for support, he peered over the edge and saw a swirling cloud of dust that consumed everything in its path. Wishing he hadn't looked, he pulled himself back, cursing nonstop.

Flung out of the top of the shaft, just as the arch of rock began to buckle, prisoners and soldiers alike tumbled into the air and light of the world above. Almost as a parting shot, an avalanche of choking dust billowed up from the mine's mouth, blanketing them.

Jomei, coughing his eyes jammed full of grit, spat out a mouthful of dust. He slammed one fist into the opposite palm and the worst of the clinging dirt exploded off him. Then, he could take a good look around. Looking around, trying to regain his bearings, he cried out, clapping a hand over his eyes. Then he remembered the sun.

After months of living in darkness, feeling his way more than he saw it, and used to having a longer time to adjust to the stark contrast between the world above and that below, Jomei was well and truly dazzled. Blinking furiously, he had no choice to wait until the light no longer pained him.

First, he did a quick head count of the miners. It looked like everyone had made it out, though they were a sorry sight to be sure. Once he was assured of their safety, he slumped back against the mountainside, utterly drained. It was a long few moments before he remembered something else, and stood up once again, walking over to the edge of the cliff, and seeing what lay beyond.

The mine entrance looked out over a spectacular view of the narrow valley that held Teoro Village, and the snowcapped mountains that rose up around it, towering to the sky. With the sun shining overhead, and not even a wisp of cloud to be seen, it was a beautiful day, though still cold, and everything seemed that much brighter, from the deep green of the forests that blanketed the distant mountainsides to the dark brown of the village rooftops to the snow-covered peaks so white it hurt to look at them.

Jomei looked down on his home with a sudden, overwhelming surge of pride, in both the place they were lucky enough to live, and in the people strong enough to make a life there. It was short-lived, however, as his gaze fell on the Fire Nation flag that snapped in the wind and the new iron gate that had replaced the old stone wall that had proved useless against the invaders. Reki, appearing beside him, was not nearly as impressed, only shaking her head, and shivering in the chill breeze. Jomei was about to say something to the effect of not at all appreciating what she was looking at, but then Kanetsu's harsh bark rang out. It looked like he had finally recovered enough to be very angry about what had just happened.

"You—you _damned idiots_! You miserable stonebrained peasants! Do you have any idea what you just _did_? This—this _catastrophe_ of your making has probably destroyed half the mine and any chance of making the ore quota for the next year!" He jabbed a finger at the mine entrance. "Get back in there and start clearing those shafts! We might not be able to make the quota, but we can damned well take the loss out of your backs! You'll be working without breaks until we get this mess cleaned up." Kanetsu was already stalking back towards the entrance, the soldiers reluctantly falling in behind, before he noticed that none of the miners had moved an inch, and only looked at him curiously, something very dangerous in their eyes.

"What's the matter with you? That was an order, now march!" Still, none of the miners made the slightest move to obey and their guards came to a halt, confused by their unaccustomed intransigence. Growing angrier and more bewildered by the second, Kanetsu demanded, "What's the meaning of this? Have you forgotten the consequences of defiance? I can have all of your families taste my whip for this!"

Jomei stepped forward and said what was on everyone's mind.

"The sun will burn out before we go back in that deathtrap now. The mine has got to settle, and it won't be safe for at least a few days. If you don't trust me, you can talk to Takano about it, but he'll just tell you the same thing I will: We _are not_ going back there, we _are_ going to fall behind, your precious quotas _will_ be unfilled, and there is _nothing_ you can do about it!" With an almost audible sound, the last of Kanetsu's restraint snapped.

"I'll have your branded hide nailed to the prison door for that!" he bellowed. "Men! Keep the others out of this but make sure they're watching!" With a flick of his thumb, a whip of fire sprouted from his hand, throwing up sparks as it snaked along the ground. Kanetsu crouched into a preparatory stance, the whip snapping behind him while the other soldiers swiftly herded the miners into a group off to the side. Raising his hammer, Jomei planted his feet apart, ready to fight. The other miners watched in weary resignation, knowing there was only one way this could end.

A voice, reverberating with command, shattered the dusty air.

"Master Sergeant! Stand down! Jomei! Drop that hammer!" Major Takano and the afternoon shift came running up. He looked ready to chew steel. _Oh, that's right,_ Jomei remembered absently, _It's about time for the shift change. Too bad they only got here now._

Kanetsu let the whip die away and snapped to attention, attempting to rein in his temper. Jomei likewise dropped his hammer, raising his empty hands. Indicating the miners, Kanetsu explained, "Major, we just had a cave-in thanks to these imbeciles, but I have everything in hand here. If you'll let me do my job, we'll be back to work as soon as possible. I'm certain you don't want any delay in this regard, sir."

"I want the least delay possible, which is a different thing, but that's not what concerns me most. Come with me, we need to talk." After a moment's hesitation, Kanetsu bowed and fell in behind his superior. The two of them proceeded a ways down the path, around a bend in the trail. Jomei tried to follow without being obvious about it, but one of the soldiers barred his path with a spear.

"If anything happens with regards to you, you'll know soon enough," he said.

As soon as they were out of hearing range, Kanetsu spoke up.

"Permission to speak freely, sir."

Takano sighed.

"Granted, or else we'll be here awhile."

Kanetsu promptly exploded with rage.

"He defied a _direct order!_ To my _face!_ You said if he were to try anything ever again he was to be executed, did you not? I was obeying orders! And you tell me to stop? If you want those stoneheads to have any respect for us you need to understand that we can't keep making these compromises!"

Takano, unimpressed, crossed his arms and listened calmly to the tirade. When Kanetsu finished, he replied, "If we want their respect we need to earn it through judicious use of mercy, which this is. Your failure to learn this simple truth is infuriating. Executing Jomei for giving you good advice is unbelievable. You're not a miner, shouldn't you listen to those who are?"

Kanetsu was sputtering with outrage by now.

"He gave me self-serving advice! Should I...Fires of Agni, you ask me if I should listen to anyone sabotage our work here every chance they get? Not on this earth I won't! Are you really that damned _stupid_, sir?"

"Tread carefully, Sergeant," Takano snapped. "My lenience extends only so far!"

Kanetsu laughed harshly.

"Really? And here I was starting to think that you'd let Jomei off the hook for anything short of killing one of our men and using his head for a game of ball. _Oh, wait_, that's because you would if you thought it helped these ridiculous attempts to get the village to like you! Get this through your head, sir: they will never like you, or me, or any of us, or anything about our nation and we should treat them as such. The only way to deal with these types is to grind them into the dirt! And you can start by letting me kill that troublemaker Jomei, like we should have done weeks ago!"

"That's enough!" Takano's hand swept through the air, leaving a trail of fire behind it. "You've made it quite clear that I've failed to teach you anything, thank you. I probably should have seen it sooner, but I wanted to believe you could change, that you'd understand what I'm saying."

"I'm happy to have disappointed you, sir. That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me since we came here."

Takano sounded regretful.

"You leave me no choice, then. I'm approving your request for a transfer and moving you to General Fei's division in the Hu Sin Provinces. I know he's a man of virtue. If he can't get the idea through your thick skull, nobody can. Either way, I'll be glad to see the end of your interfering with my administration."

Kanetsu was speechless for a moment, then he shook his head. His voice was low and dangerous.

"With respect, sir, you can take that order and screw it sideways. No way am I going to slink off without a fight. Unlike some people, I don't leave a job unfinished. I challenge you."

The words hung in the air and the tension between the two became solid as steel. This changed everything. It was no longer a matter of insubordination and punishment, it was a matter of honor, of life and death. Takano finally nodded.

"So it's come to this. I accept. When and where?"

"Sunrise tomorrow, in the village square. With the whole damn village watching."

The major shrugged.

"If you want more witnesses to your disgrace, you're welcome to have them. After everything you've done to them, I expect they'll enjoy watching you suffer for a change. I'd say you deserve what you get."

With that, the two parted ways. Kanetsu moved back up the path, and addressed the section sergeant, ordering, "You. Return the prisoners to their cells. There will be no more work today. Tomorrow, you are to assemble the prisoners in the village square."

"What for, sir?"

Kanetsu's answer said a great deal in two words. "_Agni Kai_."

Jomei smiled. He could feel the moment in the earth. _It's time to strike. Now we'll see if I'm to be free or dead. And Kanetsu will finally face justice._ For once, he was very much looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.

Caught up in his thoughts, he was taken by surprise when an unexpected voice tickled his ear.

"We need to talk," Reki whispered.


	3. Consumed in Fire

A/N: Chapter Three, revised. For a third time, enjoy the show. For those interested, I originally had Kanetsu conspiring alone to plant blasting jelly under the arena, only to be betrayed by his accomplice. I have since been convinced of the inadvisability of this course and the result is below.

* * *

Jomei's cell looked different in the daytime. The iron walls seemed even more harsh and unforgiving, their deep gray thrown into sharp relief by the sunlight rather than being cloaked in shadow. The meager furnishings seemed more inviting, more familiar…more like something he might have had at his home, out of place here. It felt even more like a prison. As their cell door slammed shut once again, Jomei turned around, and asked Reki, "What do we have to talk about? What happened to 'just do as they say'?" Reki, looking utterly exhausted, sank down on the bunk, breathing deeply. "I can't live like this."

Jomei rolled his eyes, remarking acidly, "I wouldn't call what we do living." She did not respond, and he looked over at her, slowly realizing the import of what she had just said. Not quite believing what he was hearing, he said, "You really mean that?"

She nodded slowly. "I didn't know where they were taking me, but I figured I would manage somehow…thought I could find a way to make it through…I was wrong. If things keep going as they have today, I'll die in those mines before year's end." She looked up at him with a quiet assurance that made Jomei feel that perhaps his situation wasn't as bad as he had thought_. I've done this all my life. I can take whatever they can do to me. She can't, and she knows it. Well...I think she may just have made her decision. That took less time than I thought._

"So," he said with a faint grin, "Does this mean you've thought about what I had to say?"

Reki's expression turned to grim resolve. "It means you are taking me with you when you escape tomorrow."

"Then you'll help me?"

"I will help you escape, nothing more."

"And you agree tomorrow's the time to do it?"

"Yes, if you already have a plan worked out. Everyone will be distracted and gathered in one place. Acting now is better than waiting. The longer I wait, the weaker I'll get and you will forgive me for not entirely trusting your claims to sanity."

Jomei nodded, annoyed.

"Yes, yes, I don't blame you for that, but I have a condition."

"Name it."

"Once we get out, you'll help me free Teoro."

"No. That would be a waste of time."

"It's the right thing to do! It's got to be done! You say you can't live like this, well I can't let my village live like this, not if I can help it! I told you before, that's why I'm escaping in the first place, so I can get help, come back, and free the others. How can you refuse?"

"Easily. You will not find anyone in the nearby villages willing to fight for Teoro. They have already given much to the war effort. They will fight for their own homes if attacked, but anything beyond that is too much. And the larger towns and cities do not care about one little village, not unless these mines are the most productive in the mountains. They can afford to ignore this place in favor of more strategically important locations. That is why I refuse. Do you ever think before you speak?"

Jomei grit his teeth and tried to find a way out of her impenetrable, cruel logic. But try as he might, he couldn't. She was right. He wasn't thinking and it scared him more now than it ever had.

"Then what can I do to free Teoro?" he asked. "You obviously know about war, what would you do?"

"I would head to the nearest city and join the army. Once you rise high enough, you can lead a company of soldiers here. That may take years, but it is the only reliable method in your case."

"That'd be Omashu. All right, then that's where I'll go and if I can't find a better option along the way, that's what I'll do. My condition, then, is that you come with me as far as Omashu and once we get there, you're free to do what you want with your life. And if I find another option, once again, you can do what you want, though I'd prefer it if you stayed. It seems like I could use your advice."

Reki touched her palms together and bowed politely.

"That condition is one I can accept. It should be an interesting journey."

"I also want you to tell me whatever you know of sandbending."

Reki's eyes narrowed.

"No. It is forbidden to teach the art to outsiders."

"Then how do I become an insider?"

"You don't. You might, and I do mean _might_, be permitted to study sandbending anyway if you fulfilled certain conditions. First, you must have sworn a pact of brotherhood, sealed in blood, to a Si Wong tribesman. This is done only when the tribesman feels they owe their life to you and are willing to stand by your side at any time in the future."

"Well...I figure I can do that somehow," Jomei said stubbornly.

Undaunted, she continued, "Second, you must solemnly swear not to reveal the secrets of the art yourself to any outsider. And last, the final approval for instruction would be done on an individual basis. You would have to find a master who considers you worthy of learning from them. If you can do all this, you can learn sandbending."

Jomei mulled over the idea a moment.

"All right, never mind," he muttered. "I'll do all that later. Now about escaping, listen close. _This_ is what we'll do..."

* * *

Under the night sky, while most of Teoro slumbered, another plan was being discussed, this one for death rather than for freedom. Kanetsu and a mixed group of senior enlisted and staff officers were gathered in the charred ruins of a house on the outer edge of Teoro. The location was Kanetsu's idea. People suddenly became motivated to get to the point when they couldn't sit down.

"You all know why you're here," the sergeant said. "So let's hear your thoughts on the matter."

Captain Mitsuko, Takano's second-in-command, was the first to speak, taking the middle of the floor so she could look at each soldier in turn.

"Now that things can no longer be solved by civilized discussion," she said, more than a little bitter that all her efforts at conciliation had come to nothing, "there's nothing to be gained from half measures. I still can't get our Army command to transfer the major somewhere else and Takano's superiors must have caught on since they refuse to listen to me anymore. This village has ruined him. So if he happens to be injured tomorrow and becomes unable to command, I won't object. It would give us the chance to impose order on Teoro at last. Even he couldn't pretend there's a chance of his methods working once we're through." She looked to her left to see what the next person had to say.

Captain Kodachi, the garrison quartermaster, was a man in the prime of life but with a stiff arm from when a spear had gone through his shoulder. He held it close by his side most of the time.

"You're sure that injury would be enough?" he asked. "I could get a cask of blasting jelly from stores and bury it where you'll be dueling to make sure."

"No!" Kanetsu and Mitsuko had both spoken at the same time. They glanced at each other in surprise; then he motioned for her to go first.

"No matter what he has become, he is still our commanding officer," she said. "And he led well enough on the battlefield. We owe it to him to give him this last chance."

"Besides that, this must be done with honor, not with treachery," Kanetsu snapped. "I've been waiting for this chance for a long time and I'm not about to take the coward's way out. The men have to see him beaten fairly or else there'll be trouble."

Kodachi raised his hands.

"All right, all right, it was just an idea. No blasting jelly, got it. In that case, sure, scorch him a bit, we have enough medical supplies to handle it." He looked over to the next person.

Genji, the senior combat engineer, was a colonial citizen with the green eyes that were becoming increasingly common there and the scarred knuckles of an experienced brawler.

"I agree," he said. "He's getting in the way of my work and I need a labor force that I can handle as I please."

The last member of the group, Chang, was the youngest and most nervous, the leader of First Squad. His firebender's helmet was tucked under one arm and he was shifting on his feet.

"I...uh..." he said, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I'm not sure. I mean, it just seems wrong, this whole thing."

"Fine," Kanetsu said impatiently. "I'm calling in the favor you owe me, saving your ass back in Zhen Hai Village. Do you feel differently now? You have my word I won't kill him unless it's unavoidable."

Chang swallowed hard and nodded.

"All right, if that's how it is."

"Then we're in agreement," Mitsuko said. "Let's get ready to remind this village what the Fire Nation is all about."

Kanetsu saluted her, a wide grin on his face.

"With great pleasure, ma'am."

* * *

The morning of the duel did not disappoint. Jomei watched, letting the sight burn itself into his memory. He intended to savor this day. The sunrise was one of the most glorious he had ever seen, not least because it was the first he'd seen in seven months. It rose blood-red over the eastern mountains, painting the valley in red-gold light. _Fitting._

Jomei and the other miners stood, chained together, in a long double line that stretched the length of the arena, outlined in dirt in the center of the great village square. Firebenders lined up on the four sides of the dueling space, their stylized helms giving them an air of implacable judgment. The news of the challenge had spread throughout the village, and nearly the whole town joined Jomei in his long wait, arrayed on the side opposite from the prisoners The Fire Nation garrison joined them, stationed around the perimeter of the square. The anticipation was overwhelming.

In the expanse of ground where one of them would face the ultimate dishonor, the two combatants waited, kneeling at opposite ends, bare to the waist save for a length of scarlet and gold cloth draped over their shoulders.

Takano was motionless, his eyes closed, his face unreadable. Kanetsu stared at the ground before him as though it was the face of his adversary, his hands constantly flexing in anticipation. Each breath he took blew a jet of steam into the cool morning air. Risking a quick questioning glance to Reki, Jomei recieved the slightest of nods in return. She was good to go. Just then, as if heeding a soundless signal, Kanetsu rose, turning to face Takano, who, hearing the scrape of the overseer's bare feet, did the same, sending the ceremonial sashes fluttering to the ground.

"I want you to know that this is one time I will not show mercy," the captain warned, assuming a fighting stance.

Kanetsu only smiled grimly. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Captain Mitsuko snapped to attention and gave the command, her voice loud in the stillness.

"You may begin."

A gong set up at the east side of the dueling ground tolled once, the sound echoing off the surrounding buildings.

Kanetsu attacked first, as Jomei expected. With a snarling battle cry, he lunged forward, than brought one leg up and around in a sweeping circle kick. His foot threw a fiery wave across the battlefield, leaving the air shimmering with heat. Takano caught the attack on crossed arms and threw streamers of flame to either side. The acrid scent of scorched earth filled the air.

Turning the motion into an attack of his own, he leapt upwards, kicking out and launching a fire blast at his opponent. Kanetsu, rather than deflecting the attack, avoided it entirely with a quick sidestep. He held off on any further attacks, circling Takano, looking for an opening. Takano imitated him, waiting patiently for him to try again.

Despite his hatred of all things Fire Nation, Jomei found himself drawn into the unfolding spectacle before him. It was battle as art, and held all the horrible allure of a fight to the death coupled with the essence of fire. But the spectacle couldn't distract him from his goal. Knowing that Takano must have charged someone with watching him, Jomei waited, sweat pasting a lock of loose hair to his brow as he struggled to hold himself back. _Not yet. It's too soon. I can't afford to give it away._

As soon as the two men had reached a point where they stood at opposite sides of the arena from where they had begun the match, Kanetsu attacked again. Flicking a thumb, he ignited a thick column of flame, then snapped it outwards into his signature fire whip.

The twining crimson lash licked out at Takano's ankles in a blindingly fast movement that the captain jumped over, throwing another fire blast in midair that was deflected with the whip. As he landed, Kanetsu brought the weapon around for another strike, this one only barely avoided by Takano leaning backwards so far that he was nearly parallel to the ground. Takano who was giving ground each time the whip cracked.

Jomei ground his teeth in frustration, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood as he looked on helplessly. _This is impossible! He's mine to kill! Pull yourself together, you ash-eating, blood-drinking bastard!_ Looking over at Reki again, he was startled to find her eyes were closed, and her hands were clasped as if in prayer or meditation. _What on earth is she doing? _He didn't dare risk even a whisper, so he turned back to the fight, hoping that she knew what she was doing.

Kanetsu advanced fast, circling the whip, then snapping it forward to keep it in the air. Takano went to block and Kanetsu performed a low sweep, sending an arc of fire at the other man's feet while simultaneously turning the circling whip into a solid column of fire that seared through the air, aimed at Takano's face. The captain spun in place, throwing up a wall of flames that deflected both strikes, but that only gave Kanetsu the chance to close in still further and force him back.

Takano tried another desperate gambit, channeling his wall into a great plume of fire, more powerful than anything seen on the field yet. Kanetsu had just enough time to form his hands into a wedge and deflect the strike to either side, making the firebenders along the arena edges work to keep the flames from harming the watchers. Even more astonishing, Kanetsu was stepping forward into the attack with a titanic effort of will. It was costing him, but when Takano finally ceased, he was less than ten paces away.

The captain, though, was just fine with close combat, igniting a fiery sword to counter Kanetsu's whip, and closing the rest of the distance. The two met in a furious exchange that made Jomei's jaw drop open at its savagery. _Now that's firebending!_

It ended soon, though, when Kanetsu's whip split from one lash into several. Takano again retreated, frantically blocking.

Kanetsu had driven his commander into a corner and brought his whip slashing down in an overhead strike, his face lighting up with gleeful anticipation. No doubt he thought he had won. But both he and Jomei had underestimated Takano. The captain cut the whip with one hand and rushed forward. He showed no sign of beginning a firebending move and it was that which made Kanetsu hesitate for one second too long, just barely too slow to remember and react to Takano's favored style. He mixed firebending with bare fists and swordplay.

Kanetsu's hasty fire blast was easily deflected and Takano swept his leg across Kanetsu's ankles. Kanetsu managed to keep his balance, but the effort left him vulnerable. Takano loosed a fire blast of his own, throwing Kanetsu onto his back. The overseer scrambled to get up but didn't make it. Takano was on him in an instant, raising a fist for the final blow. Kanetsu stared death in the face. The world seemed to hesitate, waiting for the blow to fall. It was the perfect moment for Jomei to act.

Dropping into his earthbending stance, he raised his fists, ripping two crude stone wedges free of the ground and brought them down on the long connecting chain fastened to their ankle cuffs, to his left and Reki's right. The iron links parted with a ringing _snap!_ Takano, hearing the distinctive rumble of earthbending and the splitting of metal, instinctively glanced over at the source for a split second. Jomei saw the surprise on his face. Then, all the miner's fierce joy turned to ash in an instant and his expression turned to horror as Takano was engulfed in fire. Kanetsu, seeing his opponent distracted for that one crucial second, had taken advantage of it to loose a last double-handed fire blast into Takano's face, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. And it had worked.

The stench of burned flesh filled the air as Takano's charred body stood for a moment longer, than slowly toppled over, trailing thick black smoke. Jomei tore his gaze away from the awful sight, shouting to Reki to run for it. His vengeance had been stolen from him, and it was his fault. All he could do was run like the coward he had accused Reki of being. So he did.

He slammed a foot down, throwing up a huge cloud of dust to shield them, then turned and struck the ground with his hammer, ripping up the ground in a long line and sending up yet more dust in that direction. Then he sprinted as fast as he could, Reki close behind him, as they'd planned. Outside the cloud, the careful arrangement of soldiers, prisoners, and villagers dissolved, and shouts of alarm split the air. Chaos descended.

Reki had indeed known what she was doing. A warrior of the Si Wong tribes was taught that battle required perfect clarity of mind, the emptying of all thoughts save those needed to function. Reki would have need of that clarity if she wanted to live through this day.

Though part of her was screaming, she silenced all objections to the idea. Nothing mattered but survival, and Reki would do whatever it took for that to happen. As if from far away, she heard Jomei shout at her to run, and her eyes snapped open. It was time to deal death once more.

Reki passed Jomei as though he was standing still, covering the distance between her and the soldiers in a heartbeat. The battering she had taken yesterday did not hinder her, for the moment at least.

Blinded by the dust, they were disoriented and off-guard. Yet they still spotted her coming and tried to raise a defense. The three soldiers in her path attacked as one. The one in the center, a spearman, thrust at her midsection, the swordsman on his left slashing at her knee, while the one on his right aimed for her neck. An impressive, terrifying display of the Fire Army's lethal combat coordination...and ultimately futile.

Reki slipped alongside the spear as it thrust toward her, seizing it at the haft two hands below the iron head and stepped back, avoiding the sword points by mere inches. The spearman, already off-balance from his unsuccessful strike, stumbled forward as Reki yanked on the spear. She rammed the heel of her palm into his chin, snapping his head back and dislocating his jaw, and sending him sprawling on his rear. The spear now under her full control, Reki swung it behind her back, punching the foot into the exposed throat of the nearest swordsman. Choking on his crushed windpipe, he dropped his sword, falling to his knees. Catching it by the hilt before it hit the ground, Reki threw the spear aside and brought her new sword up to face the last soldier standing.

Three breaths, two men; she was losing her touch.

Bellowing a battle cry of his own, Jomei, having caught up by now, charged in, swinging his hammer. Startled, the soldier made to block. That was a mistake. His sword rang out once, a single high note as it snapped in half under the force of the strike, leaving him holding a broken hilt.

"Come on!" Jomei snapped, gesturing for Reki to follow him. With the line broken, the pair raced down the streets of Teoro. Jomei could hear Kanetsu's outraged roar as the dust began to lift and he discovered the broken chains.

"Get after them! I want them _dead!_"

Jomei spat a bitter curse. _They'll never catch me again! Never again!_ He put his head down and ran faster, a lot of very angry soldiers coming up fast behind him. The other miners, though they'd been freed, did not follow, instead dropping to the ground to give the firebenders a clear shot. They'd been through this once before.

As the first fire blasts sounded, Jomei flung open the door of the nearest house, shoved Reki through it, then slammed it shut behind him just in time, feeling a brief instant of unearthly heat as one firebender nearly got him. But they'd figure out where he was going soon enough. The winter tunnels under Teoro were common knowledge by now. _Through the kitchen, to the left and down. There it is!_ Spotting the wooden trapdoor, he hauled it up, revealing a wooden ladder descending into a dark tunnel. He didn't bother with climbing, but jumped in, shouting at Reki, "Close the door behind you!"

He landed solidly ten feet down and snatched up the glowcrystal torch sitting in a holder on his right. The daylight cut off as Reki hauled the trapdoor shut, leaving only the dim green light of the torch and his hat.

"This way!" Jomei said, bending a stone wall over the trapdoor and taking off again at a dead run down the tunnel. "Don't wait up for me!" He passed off the torch to her.

"You don't make it, I don't make it!" she responded. "And you're slowing me down, so get _moving!_"

Jomei couldn't tell how long they ran, it was probably only a minute or so, but it seemed longer, the dark stone of the tunnel stretching on into infinity, his heart pounding and his breath coming in ragged gasps. Then it was over. They'd reached a dead end with another ladder. Going up, Jomei heaved the trapdoor at the top aside and scrambled out, Reki just behind. They were in another house and he wasted precious seconds figuring out where the door was.

Now they were outside again, but at the far end of the village, just at the start of the path leading up to the mines, and it was towards that path that they ran, smack into four soldiers that had been coming this way. The miner's weight bowled over one and Reki tripped another, then they were off running again, up the narrow, winding path up the mountainside as fast as they could go and outpacing the armored men, just barely.

After they'd climbed a short ways, Jomei turned and slammed a foot down once more, this time shattering a large section of the path, which crumbled away down the cliffside, leaving a huge gap. Not sticking around to see the results-they could have captive earthbenders up to repair it in minutes-he started running again. Once again, time stretched on into eternity as they wound their way up.

Now the mine entrance was coming up fast, along with the most dangerous part of the journey, an earthbent bridge over a hundred-foot drop onto jagged rocks. When they were safely across, Jomei once again halted and turned around.

"Keep going!" he yelled at Reki. "I'll make sure they can't follow us!" Dropping his hammer, he reached out to the earth once more. As he raised his hands, the ground trembled, the shaking growing more violent every second. When his full strength was gathered, with an inarticulate scream, he brought both fists down, cracking the near end of the bridge free of the mountain. It too crumbled into the depths with a great roar of shattering stone. He spat after it, snatched up his hammer, and ran on. It seemed now as though he'd been running all his life.

Reki was waiting for him just inside the mine. He shoved his hands against the wall, the section under his palms sliding backwards, then aside, revealing a long passage leading downwards. Glowcrystal torches stored in a barrel near the entrance illuminated the place. They slipped inside, and Jomei turned and carefully bent the wall back into place, knowing how unstable the mine still was. Then and only then did he allow himself to think.

The excitement of the escape caught up with him all at once and he staggered back against one of the walls, then slid down it to a sitting position, taking off his hat. Reki still stood, but she was concentrating again, taking deep, measured breaths. _I'll have to learn that trick,_ Jomei reflected absently. For some time, he just sat there, catching his breath and letting his eyes adjust to the gloom. The stillness made every sound deafening and the dark stone was cool against his back. Then all the events of the day, good and bad, burst upon him and he found himself laughing, a strained, desperate sound that echoed in the darkness.

"I made it!" he exulted, "I'm free, I'm finally free! Finally! I can get help...I can save Teoro...I can..I can..." His laughter trailed off as he dissolved into tears, rage and sorrow welling up within him as he recalled what he'd lost. "It's not fair," he whispered. Then, louder. "It's not fair! Dammit! I waited seven months, day after day after day I waited! He was mine to kill! No..." He shook his head. "It's just so damn perfect, isn't it? I get free but only by not being able to kill the one person I wanted to kill when I come back. Dammit all! Damn him for dying like that! I should have done something different! I'm a damned stone-brained fool." Rage, burning rage flooded through him and he buried his face in his hands, hoping against hope that he wasn't going crazy again. The foundation of his world was cracked. In that dark time, it was Reki's voice that dragged him out of his despair.

"Get over it," she said.

Jomei shot to his feet.

"Shut up! You don't know what it's been like! You don't know what I went through to get here! You had one day in the mines, try seven months! Huh? You think you know what killing him meant to me? Do you?"

Her voice was surprisingly bitter, though she'd reacquired her usual dull expression.

"He's dead. That's all. Let that be an end to it. You have more important things to do."

Jomei nodded slowly, purpose returning to his gaze and cold resolve to his heart. _That's right, I do. All right, so I didn't kill him. But I can kill Kanetsu for killing him instead of me. That's what I'll do. And only after I free Teoro. And to do that, we need to leave, before they torture the knowledge of this tunnel out of the village._

Picking up his hammer and laying it over his shoulder, he wiped away the traces of tears and got ready to move.

"Are you all right?" he asked Reki.

Looking over at him, she shook her head.

"I am never all right. You should know that by now. Besides, I just killed two people."

"Yeah, I saw that. That was pretty amazing back there. You weren't lying about being good."

"That's not me," she said, so intently that he took a step back. "That's not who I am. That was butchery. It's what had to be done but I do not want to talk about it."

Jomei shrugged, more than a little confused.

"Okay, okay, that's fine. Let's just get moving. Don't forget your sword."

Wordlessly, Reki picked up the blade and fell into step beside him.

As the two of them walked down the tunnel, Jomei explained, "When Zhen Hai Village, at the north end of the pass, was conquered, the elders decided we needed a back door in case we were attacked. Unfortunately, we didn't get it finished in time." Reki said nothing. Jomei continued, "It was supposed to open out south of Teoro, but we'll have to dig our way through the last bit. At least the Fire Nation won't find us." _I'm free at last. If anything, I can still say that. And now that I am, I'll make them pay. They'll pay with everything they've got._

* * *

Kanetsu entered Takano's old quarters without fear, but without really paying attention to where he was going. He kept seeing the last part of the duel. He should have lost then. Takano had beaten him. But he was still alive…thanks to Jomei's escape. It was maddening to think that he owed his life to the idiot miner. Even more maddening to realize his victory, the victory he'd been wanting for so long…was meaningless.

The place looked the same as always, but Captain Mitsuko was sitting behind the captain's desk. She looked mad.

"Reporting as ordered, ma'am," he said, standing at attention.

"At ease," she said. "Now tell me, when did you decide to throw our entire plan out the window and kill Takano? I'm very interested in hearing about that."

"About a second before I killed him, ma'am. My position was desperate and I overreacted."

"You overreacted," she repeated, not sounding very convinced, but both of them knew she couldn't prove anything without admitting to complicity in their plan. She could, however, as the judge of the duel, make his life very uncomfortable if she decided that he had violated the rules. She sighed.

"The official report will state that Major Takano died due to an accidental overuse of force. That should appeal to the slave drivers at the front. I'm putting in a request for your transfer to General Zakedo's regiment in the east. I happen to know the officer involved, so there shouldn't be a lot of problems getting it accepted."

Kanetsu knew why she'd picked that regiment and not a closer one that was fighting Omashu. _She doesn't want me going after Jomei and forgetting my duty. Fine. I can wait._

"Thank you, ma'am," he said, bowing.

"Don't," she said. "No matter if you did or didn't mean to kill Takano, the eastern front is what you're suited for and it also happens to be far away from here, which suits me just fine. You leave tomorrow, get your kit together."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Dismissed."

Kanetsu turned on his heel and walked out. Despite getting what he had wanted, he didn't feel happy. He just felt confused…unsure what he was going to do. However, there was at least one thing that he was sure on. _If I survive this war, I'm going to kill Jomei. He might think he's safe, but I'll find him and make him suffer for defying me. It's only a matter of time._

* * *

Sky's Edge Pass was a desolate and unforgiving road. It wove like a spider-snake through the barren terrain, narrow and treacherous. Scrubby, wind-twisted trees clung to life in the cracked stone. The jagged, sky-scraping profiles of the mountain towered above it, silent watchers of anyone who was foolish enough to attempt the passage. The only thing that moved was the wind, a steady breeze that moaned and whistled through the peaks. Though there was no snow on the ground yet, there would be soon.

Though no one was there to see it, in one knife-thin ravine, something else moved. A section of stone cracked, crumbled, than was blasted away to rattle against the opposite wall, revealing Jomei still crouched in the end position of an earthbending move. The tunnel behind him was choked with debris. As the dust cleared, he saw that he had overshot the mark somewhat. He and Reki stood at least fifty feet above the path, and looking down, he could see nothing but a sheer cliffside between it and them.

Observing the situation, Reki was moved to remark, "These mountains are worse than the desert ever was. This place may prove the death of us both."

Jomei was inclined to smile, in spite of the still-fresh memory of his failure. "Actually, I think it looks magnificent."

"I see nothing magnificent about it. Only bare stone and…what do you call it…water grown cold enough that it become something else…"

"Snow," Jomei offered.

"Yes, that's it. Stone and snow."

He shrugged. "You'll be seeing a lot more of both before long. In a couple of weeks the pass is buried under the snows." Tucking his pick into his sash, and clambering down so that he hung from the edge of the cliff, he advised, "Climb on."

As Reki climbed onto his pack, he heard her warn, "If you fall, I'm using you to break my landing."

He answered, somewhat offended, "I never fall. You may want to hang on back there." Letting go, he began sliding down, carving two parallel paths through the cliffside as he used earthbending to keep himself upright, prompting a startled shout from Reki. Moving downward far faster than anyone could have climbed, they reached the path in less than a minute. Jumping the last few feet, Jomei landed in a crouch, noting that Reki's grip had turned rather painfully tight. Letting go, she looked around, and shivered in the wind.

"Now what? We have no food, no water, and nowhere to go."

"Not true. Zhen Hai Village is at the southern end of the pass. Water won't be a problem. There's a lot of streams that we can drink from. Food, however…that we don't have. Sekana is three days journey, if we travel fast and can avoid the first snowfall. If we're caught…then it will be longer. Can you go three days without food?"

Reki's answered without hesitation. "Yes."

"Good. Come on. We had better get started."

The two of them set off down the ravine, into the face of the wind. Jomei didn't kid himself about their chances. The snows had been late in coming this year, and the mountains were merciless to the unprepared. Visions came unbidden, of the time when they'd found a few frozen corpses, perfectly preserved by the cold. He pushed them away. _We can make it. I've got to believe that._ But belief was little protection against the Sky's Edge Pass.


	4. Dust of the Road

A/N: New version of Chapter Four. Meet Zoukani. He wasn't there originally, so I'm not sure where he'll be going. It should be interesting, though. And Siensao is considerably different from her first incarnation as well. As always, enjoy the show.

* * *

Near the foot of the mountains, at the edge of a dark forest, two lonely travelers waited for the dawn. Their little campfire crackled and snapped, throwing a wavering circle of light against the deep night that pressed in upon them, frightening in its intensity. Overhead, the vast tapestry of stars glittered down at her. The waning moon shone weakly through a haze of cloud. There were tales of dark deeds being done on nights like these. Tales of horrible fates that awaited those foolish enough to journey through the ragged fringes of civilization in the war-torn Earth Kingdom. For the travelers, those tales had taken on new meaning.

Siensao stared into the depths of the flames as though they contained the mysteries of life, her expression thoughtful. _There is still something humbling about sleeping under the stars, up here in these mountains. A reminder that I am only one drop of water in an infinite sea. And yet..._ She sighed. _If we so desired, we could, gradually, tear these mountains down, stone by stone. We could freeze or boil the seas and alter the weather. And all it would take to begin such tasks is one persuasive and powerful mind and the knowledge within. Such is mankind's power, to rival that of the spirits themselves. That is the kind of power I require a small part of. The kind I will have. The power of knowledge. But I need an earthbender. It always comes back to that._

She glanced over at Zoukani, her bodyguard. The former soldier sat, silent as always, with his back to the fire, his spear propped up on one shoulder. Their camp was more or less screened from the trail by a natural hedge of bracken and boulders, but Zoukani was not the kind to rely on anything more than his own eyes and ears. Other people out here at this time of night were not likely to have harmless intentions. _To trust to the kindness of strangers, that is a risk I will not take_. She lay down on her bedroll and closed her eyes, searching for sleep. It seemed only a second later that Zoukani's spear butt touched her shoulder; her hand immediately went for the sheathed katana lying at her side. He would only have disturbed her for one reason. _We have company._

Jomei was tired. The last two days had blurred into a long nightmarish road. He had pushed himself to the breaking point and beyond, knowing that they had to move faster, _faster!_. The nights hadn't been much better. Curling up on some forsaken ledge or in a hollow he bent from the rock, with the cutting winds for a blanket and the stony ground for a pillow…he couldn't wait to forget about that. They hadn't entirely beat the snows, and a few brief flurries had left them both shivering with the cold.

If it had been hard on him, it had been worse on Reki. She was nearly dead on her feet, but kept on with a strength he couldn't fathom. She hadn't spoken a word of complaint since they left Teoro, though he knew she had to be freezing to death as well as starving, and she constantly stumbled, seeming to lose that fine edge he'd seen before.

He was about to tell her that they'd come far enough for now, when the wind shifted. He stopped in his tracks, sniffing the air, catching the scent of something familiar.

"I smell wood smoke," he said.

Reki nodded, closing her eyes to concentrate on the scent.

"I as well. It comes from...there." She opened her eyes and pointed to the right.

"We have gone off the trail," she observed. Jomei belatedly noticed that they were indeed wandering from that narrow road, into the black maze of the forest. Several outlying trees were already behind them. _I really need to get some sleep or I'll walk right off a cliff. That'd be a fine end after everything that's happened._

"Damn," he muttered. "How close are they?"

Reki squinted into the dark and pointed again.

"There. I see firelight. Faint. They probably do not want visitors."

"Fine with me, I don't want to visit. Probably Fire Nation anyway."

He turned away from the dim red glow, back into the night, intent only on moving as far away as possible before stopping. Then he tripped and fell, the fallen branches underfoot snapping under his weight in a brilliant racket. Muffled curses drifted up from where he lay.

As he struggled back to his feet, he heard a female voice call out in his direction.

"Who's there?"

"Not a large group," Reki whispered. "Not with such a small fire. Either a stupid young woman traveling alone or with someone else who has not spoken. But no more than three at the most."

"No way!" Jomei hissed, resisting the urge to pull the tribeswoman back. _She's got to see sense! _"She's probably a Fire Nation scout! Even if she's not, she'll turn us in to the nearest outpost. We keep moving!"

He failed to keep his voice down low enough to escape Siensao's ears, and she drew her sword. Zoukani took hold of his spear with both hands, his leather armor creaking.

"I know you're out there, I can hear you talking," she said sternly. "Who are you?"

"If it were a Fire Nation unit, they would have posted sentries beyond the firelight," Reki said. "I have seen none. I have good eyes. I'm going to talk to her." Ignoring Jomei's protests, she walked forward, emerging from the forest, her empty hands raised in the air.

Siensao was startled by the stranger's appearance, but managed to keep up a calm front. Reki looked like a survivor of the Battle of Han Tui, coated in dirt, her clothes ragged, and stained with old blood, and her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. Of more immediate interest to Siensao, however, were the shackles on the woman's wrists and ankles, and the sword tucked into her sash.

"I know what we look like," Reki said before Siensao could speak. "We do not mean you harm. I am Reki. The one behind me is Jomei."

"What by the bones of the earth spirits are you _doing?_" Jomei demanded, not bothering to keep his voice down anymore, but still remaining beyond the edge of the firelight. He glanced, his hammer at the ready, expecting to be attacked any second. "You're going to get us slapped back in chains in the next week at this rate!"

"Pleased to meet you, Reki," Siensao said politely, though her sword did not waver. "My name is Siensao Zhang Ai. This is Zoukani, my bodyguard. Are you escaped criminals? And please be honest, I have no quarrel with you if you are, just to make that clear."

That brought Jomei forward into the light, outraged. Each of his footsteps sent a faint tremor through the earth. "The only crime we committed was being brave enough to fight the Fire Nation!" he snarled. "We're escaped _slaves_ and we don't have any quarrel with you either, so we're going to _move on_, right Reki?"

"I apologize for my companion," Reki said. "He is somewhat stupid. Please excuse me while I attend to that." She half-turned, keeping one eye on Siensao and the spearman. "Jomei, you are being a paranoid fool, so shut up and let me talk. Only a madman would walk away from the chance to stay warm tonight."

Jomei hesitated. _Maybe she knows what she's talking about._ _Wait a minute, what am I thinking? _

"Reki, just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean there's not a chance these guys will stab us in the back the second we let our guard down. Ever think of that?"

While the two argued, Siensao took a closer look at them. A merchant had to be observant, to detect truth from lies, to see what wasn't said. _If they are bandits it is an exceedingly elaborate set-up and if they are criminals who wished me harm, I think they could have done plenty of it by now. Reki has not made a move for her sword, which means she thinks she can get it drawn before I or Zoukani make a move. Jomei's reluctance to approach is honest, he's easy to read. I think they are telling the truth._ She glanced at Zoukani questioningly, who nodded once. He didn't think they meant harm either, then.

Reki turned back to Siensao and continued, "We have not rested for two days. May we share your fire?"

"You may," the merchant said, "provided you give up your weapons."

"Agreed," Reki said, taking out her sword and tossing it over to the other woman, who snatched it out of the air by the scabbard. Reki bowed low, palms together.

"Your hospitality is appreciated. May a thousand rains pass before we forget what you have done for us."

"Never!" Jomei objected, gripping his hammer even tighter. "Nobody takes this from me again!"

"This is a Fire Nation weapon," Siensao commented, doing a quick appraisal of Reki's sword. _No decoration, mass-produced hilt, industrial stamp instead of an etched mark, character for 'flame' on the pommel...definitely a Fire Nation piece, as if the 'Made in Lumin' didn't give it away._ A faint smirk crossed the tribeswoman's face, and she said nothing, instead sitting down and stretching her hands towards the fire. Zoukani took a few steps to the side, putting himself between her and Siensao. He still held his spear at the ready and gave a warning look to Reki, who nodded, acknowledging his suspicion and accepting it as the price of shelter.

Siensao turned her gaze to Jomei's warhammer. _Old weapon, that steel hasn't been polished in ages and the end of that spike is about worn to a nub; he doesn't hold it like a soldier would. An ancestral weapon, then. There must be quite a story behind these people._

"Did that belong to your father?" she asked softly.

"My grandfather," Jomei answered warily.

"You do him honor, I'm sure," Siensao said. "I promise to treat it with respect and I'll give it back tomorrow morning. All right?"

Jomei considered a long moment. What decided him was Reki, the swordswoman was sitting with her back to the other woman, entirely at ease. Slowly, Jomei came forward and set down his hammer.

"It better not get a scratch on it," he muttered.

"It won't," Siensao assured him, lifting it with great effort and putting it beside Reki's sword. Then she returned her katana to its sheath in a fluid, practiced motion. Now that Jomei's attention wasn't focused on getting away, he took a good look at their hosts.

If there was a single word that he had to pick to describe the woman, it was _elegant_. She was one of the tallest women he had seen, only a few inches shorter than him. Where Reki was blade-thin, she was broad in the shoulders and with a substance that gave her an air of stability, if not strength. Her long black hair was braided into a neat queue that hung down her back, and she had deep-set, curious brown eyes.

She wore a thick wool robe over a shirt with trailing sleeves, long enough that Jomei decided she was hiding a few things up them. Both of them were dyed a deep green and well-made, the sort of thing a woman of Teoro might have favored, simple and sturdy. Her speech gave her away as someone of learning, though. A heavy traveling pack that looked like a portable cabinet and a pair of wooden practice swords rested beside her bedroll, along with a staff. Her bodyguard's kit was close by, a more familiar backpack with the Earth Kingdom symbol sewn into it and a few cooking tools.

Shifting his gaze to Zoukani, he found the soldier staring back at him with an easy confidence. Zoukani was middle-aged, with a grizzled look, his black beard and hair shot through with streaks of silver, but he still suited the old Earth Kingdom armor he wore, though the helmet had been replaced with a fur cap. A sword hung at his side.

Jomei sat down next to the fire, still cautious, while Zoukani returned to his sentry duty, sitting down and leaning his spear against his shoulder as though he had always been there. His silence helped him fade into the background, as if he were merely a mobile piece of furniture.

"Doesn't he talk?" he asked Siensao.

She seated herself on the opposite side of the fire from him. Where Reki's movements were casually swift and smooth, hers were slow and carefully graceful, which confirmed Jomei's suspicions. _She's more than she seems. Maybe she doesn't have it in for us, but she's definitely not a run-of-the-mill traveler. I don't like it._

"He had his tongue cut out before he entered my service," Siensao explained. "We have some simple hand signs for when he has to communicate without writing, but even when we have the time, he doesn't have a lot to say."

Jomei nodded in understanding. _At least he got away from the Fire Nation before they could finish the job._ A long silence followed, where the two of them studied each other over the dancing flames, their faces red-lit from beneath in a demonic light. The fragrant smoke filled the air, calling to mind long winter nights in Teoro. Jomei's eyes strayed to the night sky occasionally, drinking it in. He'd been so long without catching more than a glimpse of it outside a cell window, and the mountains were so open. Reki merely inched closer to the fire once, deep in her own thoughts.

Finally, Siensao spoke again.

"If I may ask, where did you escape from?"

"What's it to you?" Jomei asked, frowning.

"Teoro Village," Reki said. "You look more suspicious than she does, trying to hide things like that."

"Yes," Jomei admitted with a grimace. "I'm from Teoro. If you came from the north, you went by it on your way through this pass."

"I did. I didn't stop there, though, I'm in a hurry to get off this pass before I get snowed under." She paused a moment, then continued. "I don't mean to offend, but, permit me to express my profound sympathies. I know what it's like to have a life ruined by war."

"I don't want your sympathy!" Jomei snapped. "And what do you know about war, huh? Have you lost a few silvers because of Fire Nation taxes? Had some of your goods confiscated for the war effort? Less than nothing. If they stole your money, they stole our lives."

"I'm from Ba Sing Se," she said. "I've lived all my life under siege. I had a life stolen from me as well. I admit it's probably nothing like what you've gone through, but I know what it's like to be helpless to stop those who took away something important to you."

Jomei glowered a moment, then relented_. She's just a young woman who lived a sheltered life and now has to face the real world. Yelling at her for not having to suffer the same way I did isn't going to do anything except prove that Reki was right about me_.

"What's Ba Sing Se like?" he asked curiously, "They say it's the greatest city in the world." Involuntarily, the words of an old traveler came back to him.

The aged monk had held court down at the village square, telling incredible stories about the city, and eight year-old Jomei had listened, spellbound. _The city stretches to the horizon, as far as the eye can see, in all directions. Its great walls reach to the sky as though they would conquer it, and within are hundreds of thousands of people, more people than you can imagine in one place. I wasn't allowed out of the Lower Ring, but I spoke to those who had walked the streets of the Middle and the Upper Rings, and what I heard astonished me. Ah, lads, they told me of riches uncounted, noble estates, a great lake whose beauty on a summer's day defies the mortal tongue, and most of all, the royal palace, where the Earth King holds sway, a god among his people. Pray the spirits you may see it someday._

Siensao shattered his little daydream. Her answer was sad, with an edge to it that surprised him.

"No, Jomei…it is not the greatest city in the world. Not even close."

"Why not?"

" Ba Sing Se is a city at war with itself…" She noticed Jomei's puzzled frown and held up her hands helplessly. "It's a long story. I'd be happy to tell it, but it's late and I too am tired. Could you ask me again tomorrow?"

Jomei shook his head.

"Ah, it's not important. I'm not likely to go there anyway." Some scrap of curiosity had awoken, though, and had not gone away.

Siensao turned to Reki.

"You have the look of a desert dweller, my lady. If you would like, I can try to help you return to your home."

"Like you, I have wandered far from my home with no intention of returning," Reki answered shortly.

Siensao nodded in acceptance. "I understand. I'll see you both in the morning." Taking the blanket from her bedroll, she offered it to the pair, but Jomei raised his hand.

"I'll be fine. I was born and raised in these mountains," he said, "Let Reki have it." Reki accepted the offer with another bow, this one even lower, and lay down as close to the fire as was possible without setting herself aflame. The three travelers together drifted into the realms of dreams. A faint smile crinkled Zoukani's face as he glanced over at them, peaceful now in sleep. He shifted his weight and sat, tireless and patient, as if he was part of the forest. And the night was silent once more, save for the wind, and the darkness was complete, save for the cold glitter of the stars.

* * *

Jomei awoke to find that, to his mild surprise, he was not tied up. He sat up, finding everyone else already awake. Reki was helping Siensao and Zoukani clear up the campsite. The morning was gray, with dark clouds scudding across the sky, and the nearby forest was ominously quiet. The sun didn't show its face, and Jomei didn't blame it. This time of year, things tended towards bleak and barren.

"Good morning," Siensao greeted him, noticing he was moving about. "I'm afraid I'm just about out of food, but you're welcome to what there is." She indicated a small bowl of rice that was sitting at the edge of the embers from last night's fire.

"Thanks," he mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed at how he'd acted. _All right, so I put my foot in my mouth like always. Doesn't mean I'm not right for being suspicious: no young woman from the city wanders around these parts with only one bodyguard for no reason. Reki's got to realize at least that much. Hope she's just as ready to move on to Omashu as I am, and leaving this Siensao to whatever real business she's out here for_.

In between mouthfuls, he asked, "So where are you going from here?"

"Sekana Village, and from there to Gaoling. Reki tells me you're bound for Sekana as well, so we'll be traveling together for today at least." She paused, then added quite deliberately, "So, if you have any questions, today's the day to ask them. And given that your ultimate destination is Omashu" (Jomei glared at Reki, who ignored him.) "I think I can help you out on planning your route, possibly even find a way for you to get money to get you there in better condition you are now."

"Yeah, I have questions," Jomei said. "What do you want in return for the answers?"

She smiled, a trader's grin that Jomei had seen from every merchant who came by Teoro. Though ordinarily he didn't really care for such things, right now it was a piece of his normal life returned and he relaxed a little bit. _I know this. She wants to bargain. I can handle that._

"Well, I'm a collector of stories, you might say," she said. "It helps me in my work. I'd like your story, or as much of it as you feel comfortable sharing. Would you like to trade questions? One of mine for every one of yours?"

Jomei thought about it, then nodded.

"Sure. I've got nothing to hide. But I get to go first."

She held out her hand with a quiet chuckle.

"Deal."

He shook it carefully. She had enough calluses to tell him that the katana wasn't just for show, but nothing like what Reki had, and her grip was nowhere near as strong. Still, it was something to take note of.

Finishing his meal, he went over to where Reki was sitting, having finished packing up everything. She didn't look much improved from last night, but she was a little better.

"What do you think of her?" he asked in a low voice. "What questions should I ask?"

"I think she is what she says she is: a merchant. She is not helping us out of the goodness of her heart. We are a high-risk investment." For a moment, Reki's green eyes had a hard set to them. "It does not matter what questions you ask. She will tell you nothing she does not want to, the same as you. Ask her whatever you care to." There wasn't a lot Jomei could say to that.

They left the campsite and passed into the forest. The thick carpet of dead needles and other debris coating the ground ensured their footsteps were nearly silent, and the air seemed to close in about them, heady with the scent of evergreen. It was a place that made one feel obliged to speak only in a whisper, and to jump at even the slightest of sounds. Jomei had to constantly restrain himself from going for his hammer whenever branches creaked and groaned under the wind. What he could see of the sky spoke of heavy rains that were sure to fall before day's end.

Finally, he broke the silence by asking his first question of Siensao.

"Why do you travel in places like this when there's a war on?"

"You don't believe in needless small talk, I see," she said, bemused. "I'm looking for an earthbender who would be willing to travel with me. Why are you heading for Omashu when it would probably be safer south of the mountains?"

"To join the army, probably. What do you want with an earthbender?" _Is she already trying to get me into something?_

"I'm also a scholar of sorts, and there's a course of study I'd like to take. It requires that I do so in the company of an earthbender. What do you want in life?"

He answered without hesitation.

"To free my village. Vengeance for the Earth Kingdom...it's all I have left. What do _you_ want in life?"

"An end to the war. Of course, one person can't do much in that regard, unless you believe the Avatar will return."

Jomei snorted derisively. _That old legend…makes me sick thinking of that coward, whoever he is, hiding himself away somewhere and letting the Fire Nation march all over the face of the earth. Tell me another one. If I meet the guy, I'd leave him minus a few teeth, and spirits know he deserves worse._ Aloud he said, "Who does?"

Nodding, Siensao turned towards Reki. "It seems unfair to leave you out of the conversation. You don't need to tell us what you want in life, of course, but feel free to join in."

"I want what I can't have," Reki answered harshly. "And it's none of your business. For all your talk and all your questions-which by the way, Jomei has answered much more completely than you-you speak little of yourself, so please allow me the same courtesy."

Siensao was taken aback, but recovered quickly, bowing her head and speaking contritely.

"I apologize. You are correct. Perhaps this trade is disrespectful on my part. Shall we end the exchange for now?."

"We shall," Reki said.

Jomei dropped back a few steps, muttering to the tribeswoman, "I kind of wanted to hear about Ba Sing Se. It's not like I expected to get a whole lot out of her anyway. Did you really have to do that?"

She looked back at him without regret.

"You said you valued honesty, even when it hurt. She is not honest, therefore I do not trust her and neither should you."

"Does that mean I can't even have a conversation with her? I mean, you were the one that said we ought to go in and talk to her last night."

"I said we should share the fire. Talking has nothing to do with it. You must be cautious about who you associate with."

"I associate with you and you with me. What does that say about us, then?"

There it was again, that cold smile on Reki's face. "That both of us are desperate and have no one else to turn to save their companions in misery."

That remark swiftly ended the conversation, and they walked on, once more in silence. After another few hours, they emerged from the forest, into rolling hills. Naturally, only after the trees were left far behind did Jomei feel the first drops of rain.

The drizzling kept up well into late afternoon, and the thunderheads swelled higher and thicker and darker, closing in on them from the north. They had just caught sight of the tall wooden gate tile rooftops of Sekana, glimmering with rain, when the storm suddenly broke with terrifying fury. The sky was black with clouds, the blackness spreading downward like a shroud, enveloping everything underneath. The dark was thick and strong, and the only visibility came in blue-white flashes when the lightning crackled across the heavens, followed by the deep boom of thunder. The icy rain fell in torrents, eroding the dirt road into cold, sucking mud, and stealing the slightest hint of warmth from their bodies.

Jomei didn't dare halt, not even for a moment, not with shelter so close. He was kept going only by his fading determination to put one foot in front of the other. If he stopped, if he allowed himself to think about just how tired he was, he knew he wouldn't be able to start moving again. Holding onto his hat with one hand to keep it from blowing back, he glanced over at the others once again.

Reki was much like him, staggering with each step, shivering uncontrollably. Wrapped in Siensao's heavy cloak, she held it closed in a white-knuckled grip with one hand, and used her sword as a walking stick in the other, often leaning heavily as it sank into the earth. Siensao wore her spare cloak, and looked out from the deep hood with a miserable expression. While she wasn't as exhausted as they were, her pack was heavy and unwieldy enough to give her plenty of trouble. Zoukani bore the deluge as stoically as he did everything, wrapped in a cloak of his own. Though he kept it slow enough for the group, his pace was steady, the tireless slog of a veteran infantryman.

In the next lightning strike, which briefly illuminated their surroundings, Jomei finally saw the village entrance looming before them.

"We made it!" he shouted back to the others.

"Praise the spirits!" Siensao exclaimed gratefully, hurrying forward. Jomei followed suit, spurred into one last spurt of energy by the promise of shelter. If he died this night, he wanted to be dry. Reki only spat out rainwater and said nothing. Her sole remark upon the weather was that rain in the desert was usually violent and as much feared as loved.

They met no one on the way into the village, but that was to be expected. Light shining through cracks in the shutters of various homes assured them the place was not deserted, at least. The low wooden houses seemed to huddle together against the elements. Jomei made for the closest building, which, fortunately enough turned out to be an inn. In the next flash, he saw a line of deeply graven characters above its door that proclaimed it to be '_The House of the Waves_.'

Jomei took the handle and tried to open the door, but found it locked securely. With an effort, he curled his stiff fingers into a fist like a sledgehammer, and pounded it on the door, once, twice, three times, each time evoking a dull thump from the soaked timbers. After the third strike, he bellowed hoarsely, "Open this door, damn you, we're drowning out here!"

No reply was forthcoming.

"Smooth," Reki commented. "They probably think we're bandits now."

Jomei sighed and was about to try again when Siensao put a hand on his arm.

"Will you let me try something before you kick it down?" she asked. He nodded, gesturing impatiently for her to go ahead.

"We mean you no harm, honored sirs, we're just four travelers seeking shelter! We can pay well!"

That got a reaction. Bolts rattled and the thick wooden door slid open, revealing an irate young man who snapped, "Fine, fine, just—" About then he saw who it was that he was talking to. Siensao was the best-looking of the ragged bunch; the two men and the other woman had all the appearance of desperate bandits ready to prey on the village.

Noticing where his gaze fell, Siensao quickly brought his attention back to her. "Thank you so much for coming to our aid!" she said, sounding breathless and almost… _fluttery_ to Jomei. "May we come in now?"

Their host swallowed hard, blushed, and managed to sputter, "I—I'm sorry…I thought you were…please come in…"

Jomei needed no second invitation. Pushing the man aside with one hand, he took two long strides into the inn, with Reki and Siensao following, all of them dripping with water and leaving little puddles in their wake. He heard Siensao saying something, but most of his attention was taken by the wave of warm air that drifted over him. _I think_, he murmured to himself, _it's okay to just close my eyes for a little bit_. The room began swaying around him, seeming to fade into a dark tunnel. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

_Jomei wandered through a dark, twisted landscape of shadows and cold winds. He was looking for something. He couldn't remember what it was or what it looked like, only that he would know it when he saw it, and he had to keep looking. And so he trudged onward, wishing in vain for his hat and its guiding light. He still had his hammer. But as glad as he was for something to hold onto, it dragged him down with its weight._

_"Help…" he whispered, when his legs finally gave out and he sank to his knees. "I need help…"_

_Abruptly, his surroundings blurred and shifted, and he found himself once again struggling against the Fire Nation soldiers as they made their chains fast around his wrists and ankles. He fought them as best he could, but it was never a contest. As the cold metal dug into his skin, he saw his grandfather standing before him._

_"Granddad?" he asked, confused. The old man looked down at him sternly._

_"Do you know your destiny?" he demanded. Before Jomei could gather his wits enough to answer, the scene faded._

_Jomei screamed in pain as the last line of his branding was traced. Half mad with agony, he again saw his grandfather standing there, with that same stern look._

_"Do you know your destiny?" he demanded, this time with even more force. Jomei managed to gasp, "I…I don't know…"_

_Another flicker, and another place. He sat in front of Siensao's campfire. The only person there besides him was his ancestor, who regarded him over the flames._

_"Would you like to know?" he asked quietly._

_Jomei laughed bitterly. "I don't believe in destiny. The life you have is the one you make for yourself."_

"_We all have parts to play in what is to come. There are a few great truths of a man's life that cannot be changed. Like where you're born, for example. And I have seen enough of the truth of your existence that it frightens me. There's no running from your destiny...unless you accept my help."_

"_How do I know you're not some evil spirit posing as my ancestor?" _

_Hanhei scowled fiercely. "When Jura was a baby you let her pull on your hair even though it hurt because you liked the face she made when she did it. She kept on doing it every so often when she was mad with you up until she left. No spirit not of this family would know that."_

_Jomei blushed at the memory._

_"All right, so you are who you say you are. Where were you when I needed you, huh? Where were you back in Teoro?"_

_"I'm _dead_, you idiot. Unless you could summon me up to help you swing that hammer of mine with a purpose, there was no reason for me to see you that would have made any difference. But now that you're free, I thought I'd give you what guidance I can, provided that you _listen_ to me."_

When a spirit put it that way..._"I'll listen to what you have to say, but I make no promises."_

_"Accept Siensao's offer. You'll know when she makes it. She's like a boulder with only a little bit showing above ground. There's more to her than you think."_

"_I'll decide who to trust," Jomei retorted. "And if that's all you had to say after that blather about 'destiny,' just leave me in peace!"_

_Sighing, Hanhei faded into the darkness, leaving him alone by the campfire. The darkness came for him again._

Jomei drifted into conciousness gradually, slowly becoming aware of where he was and how he got there. _I remember…we were caught in the rain…then…Sekana._ Opening his eyes with a faint groan, he looked around blearily.

He lay in a soft bunk, buried under thick fur blankets. He couldn't remember how long it was since he had slept so well. _And so late_, he noticed belatedly. The sun shone gently through the window next to his bed, with a cool autumn breeze ruffling the heavy curtains.

This was the third time that he had woken up without the ringing of metal and the jailer urging him to _Rise and shine!_, but it was definitely the best. He felt very much disinclined to move. But then, he'd never been one to slack off when there was work that needed doing.

Sitting up with another groan, he winced as his battered body protested. Rubbing at his eyes, he looked around at the room. It was furnished with a strange, but oddly comforting style. Hooks and bars held clothes, pottery and basketwork bearing a wave pattern, which in turn held water and other necessities. An armadillo-bearskin rug covered the floor, and other furs, tending towards blue, white, gray, were hung on the walls, giving the room a cozy feel. A lamp hung in the corner, unlit right now, but undoubtedly bright when needed.

Settling the hat on his head once more, and picking up his hammer, he nodded once, satisfied. _These are all I have left of Teoro. From now on, they go where I go._ Sliding the door open, he nearly ran into Siensao. She broke into a broad smile on seeing him.

"You're awake!" she observed, and bowed slightly. "Pleased to see you're doing well."

Steadying himself on the door frame, Jomei yawned long enough that he thought his jaw had dislocated. When he finished, he asked sleepily, "How long was I out?"

"All last night and half of today. It's almost midday. The local healer says that for trying to cross the pass without food or sleep, you're in remarkably good condition, which is to say you're still alive."

Jomei grunted. "I agree with them."

Siensao continued, "Your friend hasn't woken up yet…and honestly, she isn't sleeping well. Tosses and turns constantly, mutters incomprehensibly, sweats hard. Was she ill when you started out?"

He shook his head. "If she was, she didn't tell me. But Reki doesn't talk much, and I don't ask. A man's past is his business, my granddaddy always said."

Siensao looked him in the eyes steadily. "Well, I'm going to ask. We never did finish our talk. I'd still like to hear your story." Her voice grew soft. "If you meet misfortune, someone should remember you and your friend, and what you endured. And I'm sure you still have questions of your own to ask."

"And once you've heard it," Jomei asked, "What does it matter? What will it change? What does telling you my story do for me? What does it do for Reki? We owe you, true, but not so much as to blather on about our life stories. What will you trade?"

"Guidance," Siensao replied calmly. "A means to learn. If you truly want to free your village, I can include you in my course of study. You can learn earthbending from masters of the art for free. The price is a commitment to finish the course. If you start on it, you have to finish it. Or if you find that option not to your liking, I can give you an introduction to a master in Omashu. And of course, you may always join the army, if nothing else. Do we have a deal? Your story for my aid?"

"I'll tell you my story," Jomei said. "Reki's story you'll have to get from her and good luck with that. I don't know it and I don't want to. And you'll tell me _exactly_ what you mean by this 'course of study' thing. If you're okay with that, then yeah, deal."

She grinned.

"Fair enough terms-I agree to them. But enough of this, you should eat something. Come on, let's find you some food."

Jomei took Siensao's advice to heart, and proceeded to demolish most of the food he could get his hands on. After prison fare, and then nothing at all, he was ready for a change. However, he couldn't stomach the 'ocean kumquats' that were a specialty of the inn. _Tastes like limestone soaked in salt water_, was his opinion.

Siensao talked of trivia as he ate, such as the fact that the inn had been founded over a century ago by a Water Tribesman, and they'd taken great care to preserve his work. While Jomei knew nothing of the Water Tribes, he supposed they couldn't really eat well in that arctic wilderness, and thus had to make do with such awful things. Zoukani dropped by from some errands he was running for Siensao and offered, through writing, some practical advice on using a warhammer. It sounded like he'd seen them used up close a few times.

Following his long-delayed breakfast, Jomei went around to the local smith to get his shackles knocked off and the spike on his hammer sharpened. It took a long time, and a few of Siensao's coins to convince the man that it he wouldn't be getting in any trouble for doing it. After a half hour of work with a hammer and chisel, he had the distinct pleasure of being able to feel the air against his wrists and ankles again.

However, he kept the wrist cuffs as makeshift bracers, tied shut with twine and the loops for chains sliced off. They were a reminder, just like his scars, of what the Fire Nation had done to him, and of the blood oath that bound him to vengeance.

As they were leaving the smithy, a boy from the inn ran up to Siensao, informing her that the "sick lady you wanted us to keep an eye on" was awake and "doing something weird in her room." Returning to the inn, he knocked on her door. A faint rasping noise was audible through the wood. It halted at his knocking.

"Who is it?"

"It's me. I heard you were up, so I wanted to make sure you're all right. And to get your opinion on a deal I've made with Siensao."

"I am never all right and any deal you can make with her will not end well for you. But come in if you like."

Jomei slid open the door and stepped in, closing it behind him. Reki was sitting on her bed, running a whetstone over her borrowed sword with a disturbing precision and intensity. A rag and a jar of polish lay nearby and the steel gleamed with attention. Jomei was unsure of what to say. He cleared his throat and murmured hesitantly, "I, uh, heard you weren't sleeping well. I thought maybe you'd come down with something. It's not like it was the easiest thing to get here from Teoro."

"You heard correctly and I am not sick in body," she answered. She did not meet his gaze.

Jomei found it much easier this time to resist the impulse to ask questions, at least about Reki herself. Some things, though, he just couldn't help himself.

"Aren't you going to get some new clothes? The bloodstains will make things hard for us."

"I wear layers. I will switch them around. And I have experience at getting bloodstains out of clothing."

"Ah, I see. That's pretty clever. Maybe I should do the same. I'd appreciate some lessons on doing that, too."

Now Reki did look up, pausing a moment. She seemed to approve.

"Occasionally you show flickers of intelligence. I will instruct you in this, yes." Then she scowled. "But first tell me about this deal you have made with the merchant."

Jomei explained the terms in a few words. Reki's manner didn't change.

"She is using you. You are perfect for her purposes, an earthbender looking to increase his strength by any means necessary, preferably the fastest one and you see a year of studying as better than five years of soldiering. Studying is not war. You think you can study your way to victory over the Fire Nation? You think that the war will simply pause a moment while you practice? You are still running from the fight."

"Hey!" Jomei snapped. "First off, I never said I'd take her offer." _Though Grandad wants me to, I still don't know what he's up to._ "Second, since the war isn't going to stop, getting this done faster so I can get on to the real war is all the more important, because Teoro and its people come first. Always. And third, I am _not_ running, I'm getting ready for the fight, I'm working towards the fight."

Reki's sword flashed again as it sliced through the air towards his neck. Jomei tried to duck, but she was just too fast and he had no earth to bend. The razor edge stopped just short of taking his head, cutting lightly into his throat. He froze, paralyzed by the chill touch of the steel.

"See how easy it is to die?" Reki asked, still calm. "Study all you like, it will not make you ready either to free Teoro or fight the war. Only battlefield experience can do that. You claim to value truth; stop and think a moment and see the one you're trying to avoid. This woman is offering you an out and you're being sucked into it. You want my opinion on this bargain. It was poorly made." She lifted her sword and let him stand up again. "But I do not care. Do as you will."

Jomei touched a hand to his neck and it came away lightly tinged with red. His heart was still pounding and his mind was in turmoil from Reki's words.

"My village..." he said quietly, horribly conscious of the ruins of his dignity and strength, but he didn't care, he had to make her understand. "My kingdom, they're suffering, every day. I can't stand it. I can't do much about the kingdom but I can damn well do something about my village. Maybe you're right, maybe studying isn't enough, but right now, Siensao's offer is the only clear plan and the means to carry it through that I have. I can't leave Teoro to suffer any longer than I have to. Not ever. The whole reason I escaped is because of them. Even if Siensao's offer doesn't mean anything, I have to at least hear her out. What would you do if your brother was back in Teoro and you were in my place?"

Reki was silent a long moment. When she did speak, it was with great pain and weariness.

"I can only hope," she said. "that I would be strong enough to do the smart thing."

"I'm not that strong," Jomei admitted. "I don't think I ever will be. That's just how it is, and I'll have to live with it. I hope you can live with it too. We'll never get along on the way to Omashu if we can't live with each other."

Reki shrugged.

"I have lived with cowardice and weakness all my life. It hardly seems fair to complain about it. I have no intention of making your life miserable. You asked, and I answered. That's all."

"You make me not want to ask," he said with a rueful chuckle. "Why do you need that sword so sharp, anyway?"

She resumed her work.

"It's for the sword exhibition I am doing tonight. I need drinking money. Still happy you asked?"

Jomei rubbed his eyes, sighing. "No. But for what's worth…thanks, as usual, for being honest. There's too few that are." He turned to leave, but remarked over his shoulder, "I don't think I ever said thanks for the help back in Teoro. Or if I did let me say it again. Thank you."

"Don't bother," she muttered, "you'll probably regret it later."

To that, Jomei had no answer. He turned and left Reki to her work.

Getting back to his own preparations, he turned his attention to his clothes, discarding his old prison outfit in exchange for a long-sleeved tunic and pants, both in dark green, along with a heavy black cloak appropriate for travel in winter, though it was too short for him by an inch.

Siensao offered to loan him some money, seeing as how all he owned was the hat and his grandfather's hammer, but he turned her down, explaining that he was trading goods for work, and that his jobs began disliked owing anybody, least of all merchants. Only then, with the sun sinking low in the west, did he, Siensao, Zoukani, and Reki sit down at a corner table in the inn, and he prepared to tell his story.

He left out nothing, and though he noticed Siensao paled visibly when he spoke of prison life, she didn't stop him. He did not, however, mention the burns on his back. That wasn't something he felt like telling a stranger, even even a stranger who had shared their food and fire for a also said nothing of Reki at all, as he had promised. It wasn't his right to speak about that.

By the time he at last fell silent, having concluded with his and Reki's escape and the ensuing two-day journey across the mountains, the sun had nearly vanished below the horizon. The inn's staff set about lighting the lamps and the fire in the hearth, the dry wood scenting the air with spicy smoke. The once-empty room was filled with villagers gathered to relax after a day's work.

"So, you think about that a while," he concluded. "And you tell me whether this offer of yours is still open. But first..." The hint of a smile came to his lips. "I want to hear about Ba Sing Se."

Her own smile was broad and genuine.

"Certainly."

Siensao proved to be an excellent storyteller, and the picture she painted with her words was incredible. Unlike the old traveler in his past, she had been all over the city and described the Middle and Upper Rings and the riches within. But while she talked, she did as he had suggested and thought carefully. _Just the person I need. Strong, willing, nothing to hold him back, and dumb as a box of hammers. If it was just him, I'd be set. His friend, though, she's the smart one, and trouble for me if I don't handle this delicately. I'll need to ease him into things so he can work over her objections, or convince her to stay out of my way. And why not both at once?_

"Getting back to your story," she said, finishing talking about her home. "It's quite a tale. Thank you for letting me hear it, I know it can't be easy to talk about such things. And I've decided that my offer is still open. To answer your question as to exactly what it is, it's a lengthy journey around the Earth Kingdom, starting and ending in Omashu, and stopping at multiple places along the way for you to learn earthbending and me to learn more mundane skills. It costs nothing but you must be willing to complete it. It will take at least a year, maybe more, and you can't move on from one location until you've learned enough. It is taught by a group of masters who are committed to teaching the younger generations, even in this time of war. Did you have any other questions?"

Jomei thought about it, and shook his head.

"No, I'm good. But I still don't know if I want to do it."

"Of course, of course. Take your time and consult with your friend. In the meantime, why don't you take a look at _Earth Rumble_?"

Jomei's eyebrows rose.

"I've never heard of it. what's that?"

"Quite possibly the most famous earthbending tournament in the world. People come from all over the Earth Kingdom to fight for the championship."

"Good for them. I don't think I'm championship material." Jomei had always been realistic about his earthbending skill. _Just about the best in my village means absolutely nothing outside the mountains. I'd be lucky to make it through the qualifying round._

Siensao shook her head. "Not what I had in mind. It's also an excellent place to find an earthbending teacher. The current champion, unless I heard incorrectly, lives near the arena, along with the second-place winner."

Jomei's interest was piqued. _She makes sense. I can't pay anyone for their time, but if I can find the right person, someone that cares more about the art than their coin, I can make it happen._

"Where is this arena?" he asked.

"Three more days journey south, moving fast, in the city of Gaoling. I'd have to go with you until you make your decision, of course, but it's hardly out of my way, and I can find another earthbender there if you don't feel my offer suits you."

Jomei nodded slowly. "My thanks." _To Gaoling I go, then._ He turned to Reki.

"What do you think?"

"You have already heard my opinion," she said, unconcerned. "Her offer is genuine, but I do not think it is the best path to take. You are set on taking it anyway, and I do not feel like stopping you. Your reasons are...understandable if not valid. I said I would accompany you as far as Omashu, so I will do that." She stood up. "If you will excuse me, I have a show to do."

"Reki," Jomei said. "I'm serious. If you think this woman can't be trusted, I'll turn this offer down here and now."

"She can be trusted to help you, but only if she helps herself as well," Reki said. "And don't start using me as a crutch for decision-making. I'm no sage." She headed towards the clear space in the center of the room, taking out her sword.

The patrons grew quiet, and heads turned to look. She remained as calm and composed as ever. Jomei made himself more comfortable in his chair. He wanted to see this exhibition that would supposedly induce observers to throw a few coins her way. A smile spread across Zoukani's weathered features and he leaned forward in anticipation.

"What does she mean, having a show to do?" Siensao murmured.

"Sword demonstration," Jomei answered. "You'll see."

Without preamble, Reki bowed to the audience, then took a ragged, thin scarf from her sash. She tossed it up into the air, with every eye following. Then she struck, a dazzlingly fast vertical slash. The length of cloth fell in two pieces to the floor. Jomei absently touched a hand to his neck, recalling for himself how sharp that blade was.

Some scattered applause broke out, but quickly died as Reki assumed a fighting stance. Legs apart, right foot leading, knees only slightly bent, her sword held out in front of her, parallel to the ground, with the other arm stretched out behind her, fingers curled.

She held the pose for a long moment, with the sword's blade gleaming softly in the firelight, betraying the long afternoon of attention she'd lavished on it. The assembled crowd was silent. The fire crackled merrily in the quiet. Then, Reki began her performance.

She began with a series of moves that seemed to emphasize balance and flexibility, for they lacked the blinding speed that Jomei had seen back in Teoro, and had little power behind them. Still, she flowed very gracefully from one move to the next in a never-ending stream, and performed some very impressive feats. Even as he watched, she slid into a full-length split that allowed for a low thrust against some imaginary opponent, then moved into a spinning kick that got her back on her feet, sword already cutting the air in a rising slash.

When she finished, the adulation was thunderous, but she held up a hand to indicate she was not finished. Jomei grinned, very much enjoying the show. He wasn't much for painting or sculpting, but this kind of art was something he could appreciate. Still saying nothing, Reki moved into yet another neutral stance. This one bent the knees more, and now the sword was held lower, point aimed at the floor rather than the wall. The opposite arm curved upwards to end in a flat palm. The whole effect was rather like a crescent.

This time around, speed was added to the mix, and the sword whistled as it split the air in an intricate series of movements that seemed designed to baffle anyone who fought this warrior. There was still a distinct lack of any real power in the strikes, but to die the death of a thousand cuts was quite possible, and Jomei had no desire to be on the receiving end of even one.

When she was done with the second sequence, she again held up a hand to hold back the applause, and assumed a third stance, one that caused Jomei to lean forward to see better, for it resembled his own basic earthbending stance. Legs spread wide and knees bent strongly for stability, and both hands gripping the sword, which was held over her head.

The movements in this part of the performance were also ones he recognized. Now, power was put behind each and every strike. Reki might be slight, but the cutting edge of the sword would do most of the work for her if she used it properly, and from what he could tell, she was. It cost her in speed and flexibility, but she made up for it in precision and strength.

Concluding with a two-handed lunging thrust, Reki indicated that there was still more to come, and moved into a fourth stance. Jomei found himself wondering how long she intended to go on. He could see a faint sheen of sweat on her in the lamplight; the mountain had taken its toll on her. This new position struck him as the one that seemed most naturally to suit her. The sword was held in a neutral position, point upwards, while the off hand was hooked into a claw, and held at the side. As she began the form, Jomei raised an eyebrow at what he saw.

This form was fierce, fast, and brutally efficient. She struck until the air seemed to be thick with flashing steel, a furious offensive to overwhelm the opponent. The off hand was incorporated as well, in moves meant to gouge and rip at any vulnerable parts within reach. Halfway through the sequence, she reversed the sword and continued to press the attack. Completing the form with a twisting thrust, she yet again held up one hand to stop the applause. Jomei shook his head. _I don't know what's left to see after this._

This time Reki did not assume a new stance, but returned to the first one, only this time, the sword was slanted upwards instead of being held horizontally. Then, she inhaled sharply, and executed a single thrust. The move was too fast for Jomei to see. It looked as though she had simply leapt from one position to the next without bothering with the space in between. As well, it showed an extremely taxing effort of discipline, for Reki now stood stock still, sword outthrust, without moving a muscle. The blade seemed stuck in the air.

Jomei shrugged, somewhat disappointed. He supposed it had been fast enough, but they'd seen that already. Still, he clapped with the rest of them when Reki finally lowered the sword and bowed. Going around and collecting a few coppers from each person, Reki then sat down at the bar, propping the now-sheathed sword up beside her. She had to be tired, but her breathing was slow and controlled and she sat up straight.

Jomei scraped his chair back. It was about time for him to turn in. Siensao walked over to where Reki was and sat down next to her.

"Thank you for the performance," she said, bowing low. "It was most impressive."

Reki inclined her head slightly but said nothing.

"Would you mind if I dispensed with pleasantries for a moment?" Siensao asked.

"It would be the third worthy thing you have done since we met."

"Will you accept me as your disciple in the way of the sword, if only for the few days from here to Gaoling?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Reki turned to look into Siensao's eyes, and the merchant drew back ever so slightly. _Those are the eyes of someone dead inside. Not walled off like me, but truly dead._

"If you came this way from Ba Sing Se, you passed by the desert at some point. You know who I am."

"I don't _know_ for certain. But I strongly _suspect_. And my suspicions are usually correct."

"And yet you still wish to learn?"

"Is it not the highest expression of learning when both master and disciple learn from each other?"

Reki raised an eyebrow.

"What do I have to learn from you? How do I know you are worthy when I do not know who you are and what you want?"

Siensao sat up straight, her expression stern.

"I told you the answers to those last questions already. My name is Siensao Zhang Ai and I want an end to the war. And I am prepared to use any means necessary to ensure an Earth Kingdom victory. Everything I learn may prove crucial. I want to learn from you to gain the knowledge and wisdom to help save this nation. Do you find me worthy now?"

"You are a manipulator, Siensao Zhang Ai. You would use me for your own purposes, just like Jomei."

"Yes. I would." She raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"

"You have a worthy goal, Siensao Zhang Ai. It may be possible to teach you how to properly accomplish it. I am not sure that I am interested. It would be quite a challenge."

"It's your decision, of course. And why do you keep using my name?"

"For power," Reki said. "Siensao Zhang Ai. To use a name is to gain power over its owner. And I will test you tomorrow, to see if you are worthy of true instruction."

"That you'd even consider testing me proves it's good fortune that I've found you," Siensao replied.

Reki's own smile was far more frightening than her display of swordsmanship.

"Perhaps," she said. "Or perhaps it is bad fortune that _I_ have found _you_."


	5. Beyond the Horizon

A/N: Thanks as always to Sylvacoer and PetertheChameleon for their help. This chapter was a hard one, but I think it turned out well. Enjoy the show.

* * *

The next day dawned clear and cool, delicate wisps of cloud curling across the sky, turning it into a patchwork of blue and white. The breeze was sweet from the rains, carrying the rich scent of growing things. But it was mingled with an indescribable emptiness and death, the awareness of dying things that autumn always brought.

Jomei awoke early again, to the wind on his face and the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. Its light was steady and bright, and let a little warmth into the room, a last gift before the world turned cold and dark. Soon, he knew, he would treasure even this faint bit of sun. Blinking away the last of the cobwebs, he got to his feet.

His new clothes still seemed strange to him, somehow less comfortable than the prison rags he'd packed away. He'd worn just one set for so long that it seemed unnatural...he expected Kanetsu to show up and yell at him that the prisoners weren't allowed anything else. Jomei forced a smile, sick and strained. _I don't take orders from you anymore, you bastard. I'll do what I want to. I will!_

Retrieving his hat and hammer, he looked at himself in the water bowl beside the bed and nodded, satisfied. _That's more like it. I'm starting to feel human again. And I've got a destination. First, though, to work. Got to pay back what I owe._

He slid open the door and headed for the stairs. He heard loud snoring coming from inside Reki's room on the way and winced. _I guess she'll be asleep for a while yet. Probably drank too much last night._ Descending into the common room, he found Zoukani up as well. The old soldier had gotten out a set of wooden cards and was playing some elaborate single-player game that Jomei didn't recognize. Looking up from the game, he greeted Jomei with a idle wave of a hand.

"Hey," Jomei said, pleased that he didn't have to deal with the merchant first thing in the morning. _After what Reki said...well, you can't unburn the firewood. I'm for Gaoling and the sooner the better._ "Where's Siensao gone?"

Zoukani pointed towards the door and mimed a bending stance. Jomei nodded. _Practicing._

"Is she any good?"

Zoukani grinned and nodded. He pointed outside, then to himself, and made a 'about even' gesture, though with emphasis on his side of the scales.

"What'd you think of Reki's performance last night? You're more handy than me with a sword."

The soldier pointed upstairs, then to himself, and drew a single finger across his throat, shaking his head. _So Siensao's a challenge for him, and Reki is way beyond both of them. Makes sense._

Jomei sat down across the table from him. He'd wanted a chance to talk to the man without Siensao listening in.

"If you don't mind me asking...well, you've fought in a lot of battles, right?

A nod.

"So...what's war like?"

Zoukani gave him an understanding look. He'd been there once, after all, wondering that same question. But he pointed at Jomei, mimed talking, nodded, then shook his head. _Only ask me yes or no questions,_ Jomei translated. He was getting the hang of this gesturing business easily enough.

"Is it something that you can study for?"

A nod.

Jomei took a deep breath.

"And does that make any difference at all once you get there?"

A nod and a shake of the head. Jomei frowned, confused. _So it does and it doesn't. Thanks, old man, really helpful._

"You know I get the feeling even if you could talk you'd just give me an answer that's just as cryptic," he muttered.

Zoukani grinned and raised his hands helplessly with a shrug. _It's the only way I know to answer._

Jomei decided he liked the old soldier and returned his grin. _The man knows what he's about and isn't afraid to tell it like he sees it._ He stood up.

"I'm going to go and see if I can't get Reki up."

Zoukani caught his arm to stop him and shook his head. _Bad idea._ He did some gesturing and Jomie was able to follow the general idea of what he was saying. _So the innkeeper tried to cut her off, she hauled out her sword again and he had a sudden change of heart. He thinks she'll probably kill me in her sleep or something._

"Don't worry, I'll wake her up from a distance," he assured the soldier. "Besides, this problem has got to be solved sooner or later. Might as well start sooner."

When Jomei slid open Reki's door, he immediately stepped back, wincing at the racket. Reki didn't do things halfway, that much was clear, for she had gotten _very_ drunk, and now was paying the price. She was sprawled gracelessly upon the bed at the far end of the room, her head resting in a puddle of drool. One hand still clutched a clay wine jug protectively and her sword lay on the floor, discarded. She was snoring thunderously, a sound like a dozen saws going at once.

"Disgraceful…" Jomei muttered, fighting down his anxiety. _If this is really the only person I can trust, she's not going to live long and then where will I be? I've got to put a stop to this. If she dies before we get to Omashu, what happens to me?_

He walked over to Reki's resting place, and, nudging her with one hand, barked, "Up!"

Nothing happened save that Reki stirred, her grip on the jug tightening.

Sighing, Jomei pried her fingers loose, hauled her upright, and carefully settled her over his shoulder. He was surprised by how delicate she seemed when not awake_._ Admittedly the snoring took away from the effect, but even so, it seemed like a stiff breeze might snap her in half, like one of the alpine flowers that grew near Teoro. _But I've never seen any flower that can do what she can, and I doubt she'd appreciate being compared to one._ He headed downstairs again.

Coming into the common room and ignoring Zoukani's quiet snickering upon seeing him, he called, "Hey, Sejuro!" The innkeeper emerged from the kitchens.

"Yes?"

He gestured at Reki. "Got anything for a hangover?"

Sejuro smiled wryly. "I've got a couple barrels of water out back, unless you'd like me to brew up some _shinjuko_."

Jomei shuddered, making a face. He'd only gotten as drunk as Reki had once, but once had been enough, after what they'd used to bring him around again. The dreaded _shinjuko_ was actually a Fire Nation invention, meant to burn away any alcohol in the blood. It did that, but exacted lingering, nauseating retribution in the form of cramps, dizziness, and half a dozen other conditions that Jomei wouldn't wish on anyone that he liked, and quite a few he didn't like. Reki definitely wasn't someone that deserved that, so he shook his head.

"I'll make do with the water. Get some tea ready, though. I imagine she'll want something to drink, but it's not going to be more of whatever she was going through last night. Maybe an egg or two if you have any left."

Sejuro nodded, and returned to the kitchens.

Outside, the morning was just as peaceful as it had been from his window. He felt the cool breeze tug at his hat and rustle the few leaves that remained on the village trees, some of them finally letting go to drift to the ground. The villagers were up and about their day's work, a scene painfully familiar to him.

Trying his best not to remember the old days, Jomei made his way around to the back of the inn. The gutters of the building emptied into two large barrels. With the recent rains, they were full to overflowing with clear water. As he came around the corner, he encountered Siensao going the other way, returning from her workout. He noted a faint sheen of sweat on her brow and she wasn't wearing her outer robe. She nodded in greeting, then raised an eyebrow upon seeing Reki's snoring body on his shoulder.

"Good morning. May I ask what you're doing with her?"

"Yeah, 'Morning. I'm waking her up, what's it look like?"

"I just wanted to make sure. You can never tell these days." There was more there than he was hearing, he didn't doubt, for her polite smile faltered a moment as she spoke. Then she was back to normal. "Please be careful, she and I have business later today."

Jomei was confused. _I thought Reki wanted nothing to do with her. What'd they talk about last night for that to change?_

"Oh? What kind of business?" He hated prying, but he had to know if it was something he should be worried about.

"I asked her to teach me swordsmanship and she said she would have to test me first. That's what we'll be doing."

Jomei relaxed.

"Oh, I see." _Heh, too bad I won't get to see that. That merchant doesn't know what she's in for._ "See you, then."

"And you."

As Siensao moved off, he carefully laid Reki on the ground, and picked up the nearby bucket. Filling it in one barrel, he murmured to himself, "Jomei, you'd better know what you're doing…" Then he emptied it over her head.

Reki came to in a frenzy of thrashing limbs and indignant spluttering for breath. Looking blearily up at Jomei's towering form, she launched into a blistering stream of swearing interspersed with groans of utter agony. Closing her eyes, she curled up, trying to turn away from the sunlight. Jomei, without comment, dipped back into the rain barrel and threw another bucket of water over her.

Holding up a hand, and uncurling somewhat, she protested, "Shenshai burn you….curse you to….depths of the earth….awake already!"

Jomei put aside the bucket and looked down at her, scowling fiercely. "Demon spirit I may be, but at least I can wake up without cursing everything in sight. This is another thing that's going to get us into trouble."

"Please, not so loud…" Reki pleaded, putting her hands to her ears. "You're killing me…"

Jomei increased the volume of his voice and leaned in closer, while she tried to curl up again. "But for now, you're going to hold up your end of our deal, which you can't do snoring in the corner, so quit your whining, and get up!"

Reki got up, staggering, and dripping wet. She gave him as much of a glare as she could muster. "It's my life….can damned well drink if I want to…"

"Fine by me, but the way you're going, you'll drink yourself to death and I won't have that on my watch."

She looked at him balefully, then leaned over and threw up most of last night's meal. Jomei put a hand over his eyes, sighing deeply. _This is going to take a lot of work. But I have to try._

He wouldn't be trying today, though. After making sure Reki got back into the inn safely and was ensconced at a corner table to recover, he headed off to get started on his jobs. Siensao waited until he was gone, then moved to sit down across the table from Reki. Zoukani continued playing cards with himself, but shifted the game over to that same table to keep watch on his employer. Judging from the disappointment on his face, he was losing.

"I can't say I really blame you, if you are who I think you are," the merchant said to Reki, taking care to speak softly, "but I am concerned for your health."

"Jomei said the same thing and I cared almost as little as I do now," Reki snapped. "I know my own faults and I can manage them. They are not your concern. You want to undergo the trials of the warrior, confine yourself to that." She sipped gingerly at a vile-smelling tea that Sejuro had provided.

Siensao remained skeptical, but shrugged. _It is a lever I can use to move her, if nothing else, and I can always deal with it later. Besides, I still need to learn more. If she is who I think she is, she's nothing like what I heard, aside from phenomenal skill at combat._

"I only wish to help. But I will do as you say. What are these trials, exactly?"

Reki sat up a fraction straighter and a hint of forgotten pride entered her voice. Her answer had a rote sound to it that spoke of early learning.

"Learn this: the warrior must face four trials: Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul. The first three of those are further divided into four virtues. To pass the Trial of the Body, the warrior must possess strength, speed, endurance, and agility. To pass the Trial of the Mind, the warrior must possess Patience, Discipline, Intelligence, and Perception. To pass the Trial of the Heart, the warrior must possess Loyalty, Respect, Ruthlessness, and Bravery. The Trial of the Soul has only one virtue; you must have been born a warrior."

Siensao nodded, looking quite interested.

"I understand."

"You may take each part of the test, save the last, as many times as you like, but until you pass it, you cannot advance to the next part. You may abandon your efforts at any time. Be warned, I will not be held responsible if you are injured or die in the process."

Zoukani looked up with alarm when Reki warned about death, but the merchant gave him a stern look and he went back to his game. Siensao bowed formally, with a quiet, satisfied smile.

"You have nothing to worry about. I accept your challenge. When shall we begin?"

Reki slumped again, burying her head between her arms, muffling her reply.

"As soon as this headache wears off. Don't you have useless junk to sell people for an hour or so?"

"I suppose I do. Zoukani, if you could buy the supplies we'll be needing, I would appreciate it."

She rose and headed for her room to retrieve her pack. The old soldier tapped Reki on the shoulder.

"What?" she barked at him, looking up with a murderous glint in her eyes. He handed her a scrap of paper and moved off on his errand. Frowning, she squinted down at it. The message was only a few words long: _If you want to talk._ It was signed with a name familiar to Reki. Her eyes widened. Turning it over, she found another name. This one made her slam the note down on the table and turn around. But Zoukani was already out of sight. Reki scowled. _Indeed, we will talk. Just like Siensao, I suspected, but I didn't know. I know now._

The sunlight, freed from yesterday's blanket of cloud, brought a renewed intensity of color to the world. The hills around Sekana were green with tall grass, made slippery by the recent rains, but giving off a sweet scent that the breeze caught and carried away. It was cool, almost chilly, especially in the shadow cast by the inn. Siensao and Reki stood in that shadow now. In front of the merchant was a pair of large wooden buckets completely filled with sand.

"Learn this," Reki intoned, looking at Siensao with an unwavering and unnerving stare. "A warrior is strong in body. She can cut through flesh, bone, and spirit all at once. She can wield a sword as it was meant to be wielded. She can use her strength to its best advantage." She pointed to the buckets. "Lift those to shoulder height and I will consider you strong."

Siensao was a little confused. _I might be able to lift one of those with both hands, but one with each hand to that height is impossible. I'm not strong enough._ As always, she applied logic. _There is another way to pass this test than the obvious one and in this case it's rather simple._ She nodded.

"I understand."

"Then begin. And when I say shoulder height, I mean shoulder height when you are standing up." That brought Siensao up short and Reki smirked, seeing her hesitation. "You thought you could escape by sitting down and lifting them from close by. No, that is not the way out here. Nor is dumping out the sand and lifting the empty buckets, nor is lifting them one at a time." Siensao's mind reeled as Reki methodically eliminated all of the alternative methods she had considered. _But if Reki passed this test, she couldn't possibly have done it through strength alone, she's smaller than me! How did she do it?_

"I did it through strength alone," Reki said, as if reading her mind. "I do not lie. No cheating, Siensao. Not here. Not with me. Both buckets at once, to standing shoulder height, with the sand in them. If you cannot do it, you are not worthy to become my disciple. Do you wish to quit?"

Siensao regained her calm with an effort and smiled politely. _You won't make me angry. You can't. Not after Ba Sing Se. Insult me all you want, I'll find a way through._

"Thank you, but no," she said. "I have another idea, but I'll need your help."

"You dare to ask for help in a personal trial?" Reki was still smirking.

"Only a little thing. I want you to help me set that bucket on my right shoulder. I'll set the other on my left. Is that acceptable?"

Reki lost her smile, but nodded.

"It is."

With much grunting and straining, Siensao somehow managed to lift one of the heavy buckets onto her left shoulder, which protested loudly. _Please don't let me break my collarbone._ Reki, using both hands, hoisted the other bucket onto her other shoulder. The merchant just barely kept them from tipping over with her arms.

"Well?" Reki asked. "All you need do is stand up. A warrior cannot fight well on her knees."

Siensao gathered her legs under her and got into a kneeling position, her arms starting to tremble. Then she thrust out one leg and planted a foot in the ground. Looking up at Reki, she found the swordswoman waiting patiently, her mockery of Siensao's intellect plain to see. In the end, the merchant was no better than she was, not for all her intellect and learning. Someone else would have raged about being mocked or about how there was no reward for creativity, but Siensao understood. _This is only a test of strength, nothing more. Nothing else is meant to be used. As such, the other tests will require only the virtue I am being tested for. All I have to do is figure out how to apply it. Like I have just now._

Siensao stood up. All of her limbs were shaking now and she could feel bones creaking, but she slowly rose to her feet. _You win the first round, Reki, but I'm far from beaten._ Reki nodded, perhaps approving the sentiment.

"You may put them down," she said, and Siensao promptly let the buckets fall, letting out an involuntary gasp of relief as the weight on her shoulders lifted. She stretched her arms and winced at the ache there..

"Are you regretting your choice?" Reki asked.

"Regrets are useless," Siensao answered. "Especially when I have work to do."

Reki frowned.

"Then I am not doing my job properly. I will attend to that."

Siensao suppressed a shiver at the thought.

"Shall we move on?"

"We shall."

* * *

Jomei's ax came down in a two-handed strike. The log he'd been aiming at was split down the middle with a sharp _crack!_, the two halves falling away to either side of the stump it had rested on. Propping the tool up against the nearby fence, he wiped a faint sheen of sweat from his brow and surveyed his work with a satisfied air.

The pile of firewood he had split was as tall as he was, and that log had been the last of it. His work here would pay for a blanket and a traveling pack. If he kept busy the whole day, he could assemble everything he needed for the journey to Gaoling, without having to owe Siensao a single copper coin. Or anything else, for that matter. _She might be generous, but it comes with a price I'm not willing to pay, not with her odd ideas about how things ought to be done._

"You split that wood pretty well," somebody observed from behind him. Turning around, Jomei saw a tall villager of perhaps twenty-five winters leaning on the fence.

He shrugged. "Splitting rock is harder. That's what I used to do."

"I'm Jukai," the villager introduced himself with a nod. "I hear you mean to look into the Earth Rumble tournament down south."

Jomei nodded. "Siensao talks too much, but you heard right. I don't mean to win, though, just find somebody willing to teach a pupil who can't pay."

Jukai grinned broadly. "You're smarter than I thought, then. Anybody that thinks they can walk in and take the belt back from the champion is either drunk or stupid or both, and believe me, I speak from some rather painful experience."

That got Jomei's full attention. "You've been there?"

"I have. I tried to enter in this year's tournament back in spring. They put all newcomers, you've probably heard, through a qualifying round so they don't get a lot of idiots cluttering up the field. Just my luck to go up against the champion." He shuddered, remembering the event. "She cured me of any notion of glory in the arena very fast."

Jomei whistled, very much impressed. "It's a she? What kind of a woman is it that can take down all comers?"

Jukai shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. You'll find out when you get there, if you're unlucky enough."

"Tell me anyway."

Jukai shrugged and held a hand at about waist height. "She stands about so high, can't possibly be more than ten or twelve winters, and is completely blind."

Jomei frowned. "You're right. I don't believe you. How can a twelve-year-old defeat dozens of powerful earthbenders? How could she see to hit them if she's blind? You're not making sense."

Jukai raised his hands helplessly. "I haven't the faintest idea how she does it, but I had the bruises to prove she does, somehow. Ask her yourself. But until you get there, would you like to spar a bit? There aren't so many earthbenders here, and we all know each other too well."

Jomei gestured to the house. "Just let me collect my pay, and I'll be glad to. I'm…out of practice myself." _Seven months out of practice…I can only hope it hasn't taken too much out of me._

Jukai shrugged. "I'll wait."

On impulse, Jomei asked, "What's her name?"

"I don't know, but she fights under the name of the Blind Bandit."

_The Blind Bandit, eh? Sounds like somebody I might like to meet._

_

* * *

_

Siensao was growing concerned. The score in her and Reki's little battle of wits was five to zero and showed no sign that the future held anything better. She was passing all the tests, but she still felt as though she was losing another, more important contest, as though Reki wasn't looking for virtues, but something else, some hidden quality that she had yet to display. It was confusing and deeply frightening. Another person would have become upset. Siensao merely adjusted her frame of mind to account for an intelligence rivaling her own and continued her efforts to figure out what she was missing. Sooner or later, she usually got what she wanted. Usually. The qualifier was responsible for her small but growing doubt.

She ran over the results of the tests once more. For Quickness, Reki challenged her to draw her sword and cut a piece of straw in half before Reki herself could do it. The solution turned out to be cutting in half the piece Reki left behind, teaching that being fast and being quick were two different things. For Endurance, she was told to sit under a low waterfall for an hour. It was taxing, but she made it. And for Agility, Reki threw pebbles for her to dodge, or bat away with her wooden practice sword. That was the most difficult. The tribeswoman had excellent aim and didn't believe in throwing only one stone at a time. _What is Reki looking for in all of those? It must be something present in all the tests. What common thread connects all the virtues of the warrior that isn't named?_ She'd have to think about it later, this test was finally done.

Siensao straightened up from where she'd been leaning over one of the inn's tables, her back aching, but with a deep sense of relief. She looked at Reki and stated, "There are exactly 1,352 grains of sand in that pile."

Reki was sitting at her corner table again, leaning back with her eyes closed.

"Are there really?" she asked. "Are you sure you didn't miscount a grain or two?"

Siensao felt like punching her, but yet again, reminded herself that this test was Patience.

"Yes, I'm quite sure."

"Well, it pays to be _completely_ sure. Count them again."

Siensao grit her teeth, biting back a string of curses that would have been most unpolite. _A poor choice of words and another few hours lost, just like that. I've had to start over four times, once because I sighed and blew away half the sand, three times because Reki thought it would be fun to mess up my work or make me lose track of the number. If this isn't patient, I don't know what is! This woman is a sadist, a brilliant one. I admire such skill, but much less when it's directed at me._

But what she said was, "Of course," and began counting again.

Reki held up a hand, sitting up.

"Stop," she said. "You are patient, that much is clear. If you like, you may go outside and scream. I can tell you want to."

Siensao contained herself with an effort that could have shifted mountains.

"Thank you, but I would like to move on to the next test, if that is agreeable."

Reki got to her feet.

"It is. Get those two practice swords of yours and come outside."

Siensao did as she was told.

It was just after midday, the counting of sand having taken some hours, and the weather was finally warm enough that the breeze was merely pleasant rather than chilly. The two of them faced each other, standing about ten feet apart, back behind the inn again, each holding one of Siensao's practice swords.

"Learn this," Reki said. Siensao was growing to expect and loathe the phrase. "A warrior is disciplined. No matter what, they do not flinch, they do not waver, and they do not become distracted. The mind is like steel, able to bend but with a solid core, and reflective, shedding all unnecessary thoughts and feelings. I am going to strike _around_ you with this sword. If you move, even slightly, you will be hit. _Hard._ If you flinch, if you close your eyes, if you are not watching me, or if you try to block, you will be hit. If you remain still, you pass. Do you understand?"

Siensao nodded, mentally preparing herself. She had undergone a similar exercise in her own dojo. This was not so different. It was different enough to make her nervous, though. Reki was not her old master and the desert was cruel, as she had learned already. She started to sweat under the tension as Reki just stood there, stretching things out to an unbearable length.

Finally, Reki moved, her wooden sword flashing through the air, so effortlessly fast. Siensao stood perfectly still, while the length of dark wood passed by her head, her arm, one place after another. Reki moved around behind her so she couldn't see the blows coming, and one slash came close enough to set her braid to swaying, but she stood still. Moments passed with excruciating slowness. Siensao's muscles were tense as iron bands. Then Reki hit her on the leg, hard.

Another person would have shouted in pain and tried to get away, while protesting that they hadn't moved. Siensao had expected such an attack after Reki's earlier work. What better way to test discipline than by getting the disciple relaxed and unaware, then come at them with their defenses down? So she kept herself from crying out and stood still. Another blow, this one to her shoulder that made her clench her teeth and lock her knees to keep from bending them. A third strike, this time to the back of both knees, with the intent of making her kneel. They did bend a little, but she fought it and kept herself upright. A gut strike and made her bend over. A stinging arm slap. A shin blow that nearly made her break her silence. Then, nothing.

Reki walked around in front of her.

"You handle minor pain well enough," she said.

Siensao almost choked in outrage. _Minor pain? If you had hit much harder you would have broken my collarbone and dislocated my knees!_

Casually, Reki added, "I would call major pain something like a deep slash, a gut wound, or losing a limb. And there is no way to test for that without permanently crippling you, unfortunately."

Siensao swallowed hard. _She really does think it's unfortunate._

Reki smiled once more. This time Siensao didn't even consider punching her in the mouth. Not after being shown exactly how in over her head she was.

"You are disciplined. And if you are wondering why I at least did not at least cut you, that is because there is something much better later on. Do you still wish to continue?"

Siensao hesitated, then smiled politely and said, "Yes, I do," even though inwardly she was desperately trying to figure out what she was missing before it was too late. _I'm not going to let you win. I'm close, I know I'm close. What is it that I can't see?_

_

* * *

_

Jomei dug his toes into the earth, assuming the low earthbending stance with slow and deliberate movements. In those desperate moments back in Teoro, he hadn't had time to fully appreciate being able to earthbend again, but he meant to, now. To deny his bending was to deny a part of his being. It was who he was, this kinship with stone, and it had been too long since he'd practiced it in earnest. Enjoying the gritty, solid feeling of the ground under his feet, he grinned widely. _I couldn't fight when they conquered Teoro and I couldn't have fought them and won anyway. But now I can fight and win._ His grin slowly faded._ I _will_ win._

They stood in Sekana's improvised earthbending 'arena,' merely a wide expanse of dirt that had been compacted into stone. Low stone walls framed a space that was perhaps fifty paces long and half that wide. The ground was rough and uneven, still bearing the marks of past duels that had been fought here, and rubble piles were strewn around him, the remains of stone columns and walls that had been shattered by the terrific power of the earth. Not much room to maneuver, but mobility was not an element that an earthbender generally needed or wanted.

Across from him, Jukai was standing ready. He was smiling, but Jomei sensed a certain careless air about him, like this was just a game or a competition. His life had never depended on his bending. He was satisfied with his skill and confident of victory. _That's going to cost him_, Jomei knew.

"On three," Jukai said. "One, two-"

"Three!" Jomei shouted before the other man could complete his sentence, attacking even as he spoke. Ripping a great boulder out of the ground with one hand, he punched it forward with the other, punctuating the strike with a sharp yell.

Jukai was surprised, but quick enough to respond in time. He thrust both fists forward and together, and a sharp stone wedge burst out of the ground. Jomei's boulder broke upon it, scattering more shards of jagged stone across the arena. Following up, Jukai delivered the wedge a mighty kick that cracked it free of the earth and sent it skidding towards Jomei.

Jomei avoided the strike by raising a column of rock underneath himself. The wedge slammed into its base, riddling it with cracks, but he weathered the shaking, sheered the column off at its base with a slicing motion, and tipped it forward, hoping to crush Jukai under the weight.

Jukai wrenched a thick wall out of the earth, catching the column in the middle with a tremendous _boom!_, and halting its descent only an instant before it would have pinned him. Jomei again made a slicing motion and cut the column off just after the wall, forcing Jukai to catch the remaining piece before it flattened him. Jomei was more than a little upset. _That was a beginner's mistake. Are the earthbenders here really that bad?_

While his opponent spent precious seconds in struggling to throw off the weight and toss the stone away, Jomei hopped off, turned about to dig his fingers into Jukai's wall, and with a sudden twist, broke it free of the ground. Just as Jukai succeeded in throwing the piece of the column off him and to the side, Jomei swung the wall around, let go an instant, then delivered a double punch, sending it sliding directly at Jukai. He followed it in at a sprint. _He's too slow! A firebender would have got him while he was still fooling around with that rock on his head! And I'm too slow for not being able to do the same thing! I've got to be better than this! I _am_ better than this!_

Jukai used another of his wedges to splinter the wall, but was unprepared to see Jomei so close behind. He was about to punch the wedge forward when Jomei beat him to it and blasted it backwards, the broad base catching Jukai in the gut and throwing him backwards. He landed with his legs pinned under the rock. As Jomei moved in to finish the fight, he pounded the ground with one first and threw up a dust cloud. Jomei charged into it and bent a large slap of earth up and over, at about the place where Jukai had been. He didn't think it had connected. His heart racing, Jomei glanced about, alert for a strike to his backside. _Every second he's in here is a second he has to recover and think . What's he going to do next? Think, Jomei, think!_

Jomei retreated from the dust cloud, then, straining himself to his limit, raised four walls, one after the other, to enclose the cloud in a small fortress. _At least it'll keep him bottled up._ Then he toppled them over in a sequence, hoping to crush the other earthbender. But as he toppled the last wall, Jukai leapt out of the now-dissipating dust cloud, just in time. He looked scared, eyes wide and still slightly bent over. Jomei didn't notice, and threw up a wall in the path of his short leap. Jukai threw out his arms to stop himself and clung onto it. Jomei promptly slammed the wall into the ground, crushing Jukai between them. Now it was a contest of strength against strength. Jomei took a series of slow, heavy steps across the ground, closing the distance so he could increase the pressure. A mad gleam had entered his eyes and he had a huge smile on his face, showing teeth. _I've missed this. I finally get to earthbend again, and this time I can win! I won't be a slave again!_ Then he heard a muffled shout from under the stone.

"I give up!" Jomei didn't hear it at first, but then it was repeated, and the fear there made him stop and become aware of what he was doing. He was amazed and a little afraid of what he had almost done. He immediately bent the stone slab back the other way, revealing Jukai laying on the ground, looking exhausted and somewhat dazed. Jomei approached, cautiously. _I went too far. I got caught up in the fight. That's not good. I've got to be able to control myself. I can't get lost in anger._ He had to concentrate to keep himself from shaking. He couldn't deny that it had felt good to really earthbend again, like he was meant to do.

"Ah...sorry about that," he mumbled, offering a hand to help Jukai up. "I got a little carried away."

Jukai accepted it and hauled himself to his feet, seeming relieved.

"That's putting it mildly, I'd say," he remarked. "For a minute there I really thought you wanted to kill me."

_For a minute there I did,_ Jomei thought. But what he said was, "It's just...I'm used to fighting for survival...I'm not sure I really know how to do sparring stuff anymore. It's probably for the best that I'm leaving tomorrow."

Jukai nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"I've got to get back to work, anyhow." Jomei bowed briefly, then walked away, leaving Jukai staring after him, unsure what he had just seen and none too certain that he liked it.

* * *

"Learn this," Reki said. "A warrior is ruthless. Her task is to kill without hesitation, without mercy, and without regret, in order to protect her people. It is by far the hardest thing you will ever have to do. Killing is not easy and never should be. In the Si Wong, we would use a captive enemy for this test. That is not possible here. So, against my better judgment, I have obtained the next best thing." She pointed at the animal on the table in front of them. They were sequestered inside Reki's room to ensure privacy. "Kill this creature and I will consider you ruthless enough to be taught the true nature of the virtue."

The innkeeper's grey cat raised its head to sniff at the digit and let out a disinterested _meow_. Then it curled up again, tucking its nose into its tail.

Siensao couldn't help it. She let out a snort of laughter. Reki spitted her with a death glare.

"Is something funny?"

Siensao broke down laughing.

"I'm sorry, it's just...the cat was...you really think that..." She went on laughing, unable to explain precisely why the situation was so hilarious, even while her intellect was screaming that this was a bad idea. Reki waited in stony silence for her to stop. When Siensao finally recovered, the swordswoman said, "Since you like stories so much, I will tell you one. There was a warrior I accompanied on his first raid. He was better than I at the time and you know by now what that means. It was expected by all that he would win great renown. When we attacked, he died in the first pass with an enemy. Those of us nearby saw why."

She leaned in closer and the remnants of Siensao's good humor drained away, replaced by fear. "Because he _flinched_. Because he _hesitated_. Because when the moment came he was not _ruthless_. While you were laughing you could have died. Even this creature could have clawed out your eyes if it had a mind to. Death is _not_ a laughing matter, no matter who it is done to. The only reason and I mean the _only_ reason that I do not turn you away here and now is because you are not of the desert and do not understand these things from the beginning. This is the only time I expect to have to tell you this. _Is. That. Clear?_"

Siensao swallowed hard.

"It is."

"Then for the last time, kill this animal. Now."

Siensao drew her katana slowly. Truthfully, she was less concerned about the moral implications and more about permanently damaging her standing with Sekana Village. She briefly weighed that reputation against lessons from Reki. Then she brought her sword down. Steel rang on steel as Reki's own blade knocked hers aside, causing her to miss the cat by the slimmest margin. Startled by the noise and impact, the cat leapt up and ran off under the bed.

"The willingness is what matters," Reki said. " But then, I had little doubt about what would happen already, knowing what I do of you. I could almost see the scales in your mind just now. Such logic is to be respected, though not admired. You are...barely ruthless enough."

Siensao sheathed her sword, doing her best to quell the turmoil inside her. She was passing these tests by narrower and narrower margins, narrow enough to make her afraid, both of passing and failing. _I'm officially in over my head. But I think I've figured out what she's looking for. She wants to see me lose my cool and show what I'm like under battlefield conditions, when everything seems lost. A logical approach. I think I will save that until the last test. It will be a surprise. Assuming I make it there, of course._

"What next, then?" she asked, ignoring the insult to her ethics.

"Learn this," Reki said. "A warrior is brave. She must not only be willing to kill for her people, but to die for them if necessary. She must not run or shy away from shedding blood, taking wounds, or worse. You recall that you asked why I did not cut you at all during the test of Discipline?"

Siensao felt a slow, creeping dread come over her, but she nodded.

"To prove your bravery, you will submit to ritual scarring. The process is painful, lengthy, and permanent."

"Where are they placed and what kind of scars are they?" Siensao asked.

Reki's cold smile made another appearance.

"That shouldn't matter to someone who is brave. Use your imagination if you like." Siensao's imagination was all too fertile and she had no trouble in coming up with many unpleasant possibilities. She relied on her appearance to a large degree at times and ruining that image was not worth a few lessons. Reki had finally come up with a test she didn't know if she could pass. Sensing her consternation, Reki took full advantage of it.

"Perhaps the choice of location is left to the master's discretion," she said casually. "Perhaps I could mark that pretty face you like so much, or notch your ear like mine. Perhaps I could mark your hands. Or your back. Or perhaps I will make only a tiny mark under one arm, out of sight. Without information, you are lost, Siensao Zhang Ai. Faced with a world of possibilities, only some of which you would prefer and not knowing which you will receive, you are helpless and torn."

"Torn, maybe," Siensao answered, speaking with force for the first time since the tests began. "But helpless, never."

"Really? Faced with the unknown, you will always retreat and try another way, Siensao Zhang Ai. It is an unacceptable weakness in a warrior. You think yourself strong, but shrink from anything that requires too much investment, Siensao Zhang Ai."

"Please stop using my name like that," Siensao requested, scowling. "You have already proven you have power over me, Reki the-"

"That is _not my name!_" Reki snarled, completely losing the calm she had shown previously and making Siensao lean back, startled and afraid at the fury she had awoken. "Do not _ever_ mention it again!"

"All right!" Siensao said, raising her hands. "Just...please, calm down. I apologize for my offense."

"Not accepted," Reki said, slowly relaxing. "I remain offended. Now, are you brave or not?"

"I have something to say before I decide."

"Speak."

"You are correct in that I prefer not to face the unknown. But that does not mean I am incapable of it. And while I do not know much, I know enough. I know you are harsh, but fair, in your way. I know you don't much care for me, but you would not leave me unable to ply my trade. And I know that someone with such a strong interest in leaving their past behind is unlikely to make someone else go through what she went through. To use one of your own phrases, Reki, do what you will. We'll see who's afraid here. Start cutting."

Reki drew her sword and touched the point to Siensao's cheek. A tiny drop of blood welled up from the keen steel. Siensao remained unmoving. Reki put away her sword.

"You are brave," she said. "But only because of what you think you know. It is enough to pass this test, but it will have to be dealt later. It will not be pleasant."

"When has war and fighting ever been pleasant?" Siensao asked.

Reki smirked.

"Well said. But spoken like someone who has not experienced either. Come with me. It is time for the final trial."

The late afternoon light was turning golden and the wind had picked up, tugging at clothes and teasing hair out of place. Dead and dying leaves floated through the air and rustled across the ground. The smell of the harvest was unmistakable. It felt like an ending. Jomei made his weary way back to the inn, dead tired again. He'd managed to finish his jobs a little ahead of time, but was still recovering from his ordeal. Nonetheless, he could hardly speak, he felt so happy and sad, both at once. Sekana was just so...comfortable, so familiar. In another world, he could have spent the rest of his life here, just like he could have in Teoro. And that was why he had to leave tomorrow. If he stayed any longer he wouldn't be able to. He had to keep moving. It made him want to cry.

He hadn't gotten along any better with the other villagers than Jukai. Every time they tried to talk, he found he just couldn't conceal his anger at how easy they had it and how little they'd done to protect that peace. He couldn't conceal his suspicion, either and they became offended, like it was his fault the world couldn't be trusted. He couldn't be like them anymore. It made him wonder what would happen after he freed Teoro and he didn't like to think about that. He couldn't think about that. _Why should I care? The Fire Nation didn't._

Upon arriving, his head hung low, he found Zoukani carefully packing away supplies. In his trips around the village, he'd noticed the old soldier buying various goods for the trip south. He filled his old backpack fast and methodically, without really looking at what he was doing. Seeing Jomei, he nodded pleasantly.

"Hey," Jomei greeted him with a sigh. "Have Reki and Siensao got back yet?"

A nod. Zoukani indicated that they were outside, behind the inn.

"Good, good. I'd go over and say hello, but I don't think either of them would appreciate it. They have some kind of duel going on between them but I can't figure out what it is. I just don't get women."

Zoukani chuckled, nodding agreement.

"So, I was thinking...maybe as long as we're traveling together you could show me a few things about fighting. I just can't believe that it's completely useless to study beforehand. Is that okay with you?" He planned to ask Reki, too, and he certainly trusted her a lot more than he did Zoukani, but it might be useful to have something to challenge Reki's teachings with and see what she thought.

A firm nod. Then he held up a hand, asking Jomei to wait a moment. Reaching int his pack, he got out a small wooden box, tied shut with string. Once untied and opened, it proved to hold sand, a twig, and a smooth piece of wood. Zoukani swiftly wrote in the sand. It could hold a dozen characters or so at a time. Jomei was impressed. _I guess he would have something like this._

_First lesson: How to play cards._

Jomei managed a faint smile.

Siensao and Reki stood once more upon the grassy field behind the inn, each of them holding one of Siensao's wooden practice swords.

"Learn this," Reki said for the last time, "The soul of a warrior is something you are born with. You either have it or you do not. If you do not, no amount of fighting will make you a warrior. All you will ever be is a survivor. You will never be able to truly fight. Your final test is _me_."

Siensao's grip tightened to an almost painful extent.

"You will attack," Reki continued. "And I will defend until I make my decision. If you would me to decide in your favor, listen well." She scowled. "What I have seen so far is next to nothing. Almost every disciple passes the other tests eventually. But in each of them the master observes their character, searching for a sign that they will pass this one. So far, I have seen almost nothing of that. This is your last chance to show me that you are worthy. So begin when you feel ready." She brought her sword up and settled into a neutral stance, one that Siensao recognized from last night, with the claw-like off hand.

Siensao assumed the basic stance of her own style, holding the hilt with both hands, trying to calm her racing heart and shredded nerves. This day had been one long torture session and Reki had proven far more challenging than she had expected. But now that she knew what the swordswoman wanted, she was confident of delivering. _She wants to see what I'm really like when I'm fighting for my life? This can be done. I'm sick of sitting still for her sadistic lessons!_ Very deliberately, she allowed herself to become angry, to experience hate. It did not make her scream, yell, or otherwise lose control. It only made her more tranquil in her appearance. She took a deep breath, let half of it out, then sprinted in to attack.

She didn't consciously choose a specific attack, she only thought she _sensed_ a weakness near Reki's left side at waist height and, after a feint, slashed there. Reki bent like a bow, letting the tip of Siensao's sword miss her by half an inch, then snapped back, turning her momentum into a slash meant to take off Siensao's hands at the wrists. Siensao jerked her hands back just in time to catch the strike on her blade and shove it aside, trying to slide down the length of Reki's sword and punch her in the nose with the hilt. She'd barely begun the move when Reki was no longer there, having disengaged her sword, ducked and spun away in a move that seemed physically impossible, and cracked the other woman in the back of the shin in a blow that would have cut tendons if Reki had been holding steel. Siensao spun around, still expressionless. Reki stood there, unmoving, awaiting her next try. She looked interested for the first time since they had begun the tests.

This time Siensao charged in with a specific plan, then changed her mind at the last minute, sure that Reki could somehow sense what she was thinking and if she switched tactics like that, maybe it would throw her off. The merchant ended up going for a vertical slash that transformed into a diagonal one in mid-cut with a feint in the other direction, going for the neck. Reki showed her the slide-down-the-sword move done right and she barely managed to duck in time. This left her an opening and she tried a headbutt to the underside of Reki's jaw. Reki leaned back impossibly far, one foot coming up to kick her in the gut and act as an anchor to stop the tribeswoman from falling over. She then levered herself back up and into a high, arcing thrust at the staggering Siensao. Siensao, knowing that even wooden swords could kill if one caught her in the back of the neck or the head, fought off the suffocating sensation and brought her sword up in a basic block. She sensed rather than knew that Reki was fast enough to have gotten past it, but didn't bother. Her greater strength let her drive forward again and force Reki to dodge aside, moving off a little. Again, she waited for Siensao to attack. Now she looked like she was enjoying herself. A distant, rational part of the merchant's mind noted that it was the only time Reki had been enjoying something that she was doing since they'd met.

Siensao moved in for a third and final try. She ran straight at Reki in a suicide attack. She had already been shown she was outmatched and this was the last resort of any warrior who could not run away from a fight. She tried a killing thrust to the heart. Reki slid into a low kick that tripped her up and folded her around Reki's sword, which the tribeswoman was bracing with both hands. She would have been cut neatly in half.

"Enough," Reki said, twisting out from under the other woman and moving back a step. She raised her sword in the warrior's salute, then slashed down and to the side in a move designed to let the enemy's blood sluice off the blade. "These trials are ended." Siensao let her anger drain away, standing up straight with some difficulty and regaining her usual serenity. Though she hardly liked admitting it, the chance to fight Reki had burned off much of her frustration. _In the end, if I fail, self-knowledge is one of the most valuable kinds and all it has cost is one day's worth of effort. I'd call that a fair exchange._

"And what is your judgment?" she asked.

"Though it is hidden far deeper than anyone I have ever seen, you have a warrior's soul, Siensao Zhang Ai. You yourself have tried to deny it, burying it under all your plots and manners and caution, but it is there and you will deal with it sooner or later. You cannot but fight. You are not someone who is content when at peace. It would probably be better if you were."

"Probably," Siensao agreed. _More than you could possibly now. I really do wish I could have been at peace my whole life sometimes. I wish I didn't know the truth. Sometimes._ "But I am who I am. Just as you are who you are. You tell me not to deny who I am yet you claim you are not as you were. You challenge me to prove I have the courage to die, yet I wonder if you have the courage to live."

"I do not," Reki answered coldly. "As you well know. And people do not change, they become more themselves, allowing certain traits to dominate them. Both _she_ and I are the same person, but I no longer think that way and never will again. It remains to be seen if you will follow her path. It is quite possible. You should worry about it." She turned and walked away, Siensao following. The merchant, against her will, wondered just how close she was to Reki and what it would take to push her over the edge. It was enough to make the evening very unpleasant.

The sun set on another day and four travelers gathered around a table in the House of the Waves. Only Reki and Zoukani appeared content. Jomei and Siensao shared a weary, worn-out look. The merchant had asked a few polite questions about his day, but after he made it clear he wasn't interested in talking about it, confined her attention to her meal. However, he did have one question he needed answered, just to see if the trip south was going to be as bad as he feared.

"So," he said awkwardly to Reki, "do you think you can get along with Siensao for a few days?"

"Yes," she answered. "She passed the trials of the warrior-barely. The challenge of teaching such a student may provide some distraction, if nothing else. And her nerve is not lacking."

Siensao bowed.

"You do me honor," she said wryly.

"Yes," Reki agreed with no trace of humor. "I do." Then she turned back to Jomei. "That does not mean my opinion on her offer has changed."

Jomei nodded unhappily.

"Yeah, I figured as much. I still need to think about it."

"I told you, do not rely on me for all your decisions," Reki snapped. Was that a hint of fear? He'd never heard her sound afraid of anything. He desperately hoped it was just his mind playing tricks on him. It certainly could have been. "If you wish to accept the offer, do so. If not, don't. But make a choice and live with it. You have done so already."

"Yeah...I have. It seems like that was different somehow."

Zoukani raised a hand for attention and scribbled something in his sandbox. Everybody looked down to read it. The soldier, despite the loss of his voice, had the gift of eloquence in a few words.

_Pick the least evil option. It's all you can do._

"Well said," Siensao remarked.

Jomei nodded. _I suppose it is. But first I have to get to Gaoling. And deal with Grandad. Then maybe I can find that option. What if all your options are equally bad? What then?_


	6. Secrets of the Earth

A/N: Thanks to my editors, as always, you should check out their stuff. I had a lot of fun with this chapter, mostly writing for The Boulder and Toph. It's almost too easy to make those two awesome. We may see them again later, just because of that. In any case, enjoy the show.

* * *

The new moon came and went, and autumn died a lingering death, as Jomei Reki, Siensao, and Zoukani journeyed south. Even at the fast pace Jomei demanded, it took three days to reach Gaoling; three long days of hard going underneath a cold autumn sun with the north wind biting at their backs, through the rolling, forested hills of the south. Used to the towering immensity and sweeping emptiness of the mountain paths, Gaoling was an alien landscape, and he stared at with wide, almost mistrustful eyes.

Teoro and Sekana could have fit into Gaoling a dozen times and more, and the expanse of green and gold rooftops stretched to the horizon. The walls were low and not meant for any kind of defense. This city placed its trust in the strength of its warriors rather than barriers of stone like Teoro.

The streets were alive with people, more people than Jomei had seen in one place before in his life, and they showed all the marks of good living. Brighter colors were popular, rather than the somber shades he wore, and people wore silk as often as wool. Earthbenders, noted by their bare feet, were in abundance.

And of course, there was the feel of it. The myriad sounds and smells of the streets filled the air, coming thick and fast: the dull murmur of conversation, the savory scent of cooked meat, the musical clink of gold and silver, and hundreds of other sensations.

Jomei whistled in a low tone, much impressed. "So," he murmured, "this is what civilization is like." Zoukani clapped him on the shoulder and did some gesturing. _Keep your eyes open or you might lose your money._ The old soldier was the only one who seemed unaffected by the town in some way. _I guess he's seen it all before and doesn't much care,_ Jomei thought.

"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" Siensao agreed proudly. "But," she added more solemnly, "not without dangers of its own. Stay close, and let me do the talking."

Reki's face contorted with loathing, and she expressed her feelings on the matter by spitting contemptuously off to the side. "These places are all the same. Filthy prisons where the people are more savage than those stories of the sandbenders you mention. Don't let her fool you."

"_Some_ parts of _some_ cities are like that, yes," Siensao said tranquilly, her voice cooling, "but not everything here lacks merit. The city has its own unique beauty, if you know where-"

"Enough." Reki sliced a hand through the air, cutting off Siensao's speech. "At least the sandbenders don't starve in the midst of plenty because of the lack of a few bits of copper. They don't cheat each other in the ten thousand different ways of so-called civilization as opposed to the few of the tribes. The most desolate expanse of the Si Wong is preferable to the world inside these walls." Zoukani caught her attention and no one else's as he unobtrusively pointed at her and drew a finger across his throat while looking like he was scratching an itch. _In the desert, worse things than death can happen too._ She met his gaze, despite the hint of red on her cheeks. _Yes, you are right, but I stand by what I have said. The desert's dangers are simple and honest if nothing else._

Siensao shrugged innocently. "The desert has its dangers and pitfalls as well. Let's just agree to disagree on the matter, and move on, shall we?"

Reki gestured for her to go first. "You lead the way then. We are in your hands."

The four travelers proceeded into the city, and were at once stopped by a pair of soldiers, one an earthbender, in the drab green uniforms of the Earth Army. They both wore bored expressions, no doubt believing that guarding this gate was beneath them. Looking over to where they had come Jomei could see an abandoned game of cards. He snorted derisively. _What kind of a place is this where guards can just slack off like that? Sure, the gate guards at Teoro never took their job seriously, but I thought it'd be different here._

The earthbender, the leader if the brass insignia on his shoulder armor was any indication, inquired in a bored voice, "I'll need your name and business in Gaoling, please."

Siensao made a respectful bow. "Siensao Zhang Ai, merchant and trader. My business is business, as they say. That is Zoukani, my bodyguard. He's mute, so I'll speak for him." Zoukani snapped to attention, then bowed formally. Siensao continued, "Can I interest you in some authentic Omashu genemite?"

The soldier grimaced. "No thanks. Never could stand that sweet stuff myself, actually." He pointed to her katana. "Weapons are to be peacebound within the city. Hand over the sword for a minute."

She complied without complaint. The guard sealed the place where the hilt met the sheath with a small block of stone, preventing the blade being drawn unless it was broken first. Handing the sword back, he warned, "The penalty for breaking a peacebond isn't anything you want to undergo, trust me. And if we see you walking around without one, you lose that sword for good. Understand?"

"Of course. I would not think of it." Jomei was involuntarily reminded of Kanetsu. That had been one of his favorite phrases when ignoring orders. Zoukani handed over his own blade and spear without prompting and they too were sealed in stone, then returned.

Moving on to Reki, the guard raised an eyebrow upon seeing the sword stuck through her sash, then frowned deeply at the distinctive Fire Nation craftsmanship. "Name and business. And where'd you come by a sword like that?"

She did not bow.

"Reki, swordsmanship, and a most-likely dead Fire Nation soldier, respectively."

The soldier's expression remained grim. "No kidding. Let's see it, then."

Reki withdrew the weapon from her sash slowly and carefully, then offered it hilt first. The guards seemed to relax visibly after they'd bound it. The tribeswoman seemed indifferent, though. Perhaps she'd had this done before.

The guard moved on to Jomei.

"And you, sir?"

Jomei nodded in greeting. He was pleased that the soldiers were being thorough, yet uneasy about this interrogation.

"Jomei of Teoro Village. I'm looking for an earthbending master."

"And maybe to look into _Earth Rumble_ as well?" the guard teased, a broad grin spreading across his face as Jomei tensed, scowling. "Don't worry about it, we get a lot of earthbenders that come here to make a name in the arena. Master Yu runs the earthbending academy here, and his students will point you in the right direction."

He pointed at Jomei's warhammer. "For weapons that can't be bound, you'll have to hand it over. We'll give you a receipt and you can get it back when you leave. That includes the spear, too, and your staff, ma'am. Sorry."

"No way!" Jomei snarled. "Nobody takes this from me! It belonged to my grandfather!"

"Hey now, we don't want any trouble," the guard said, backing off a step but showing no fear. "That's just the law here in Gaoling. It's a new thing the lord came up with a couple years ago. Kind of a hassle, I agree, but it makes the people feel safer."

"Excuse me," Siensao said quietly, "But Jomei, why not simply bury it somewhere outside the city and pick it up again when we leave? It won't rust if it's only a day or so."

Jomei lowered the hammer, calming down. _Stupid. Why didn't I think of that?_

"Sure," he said. "That works for me. Hold on a minute." He moved off behind the low outer wall a minute and they heard earthbending. Then he came back, missing the weapon.

"There. Now let me in," he said. Siensao gave him a concerned look and he cursed inwardly. _Damn. What'd I do now?_ Zoukani, picking up on the hostility, snickered to himself.

Shaking his head, the guard moved aside and waved them forward, offering a belated, "Enjoy Gaoling."

As they moved into the bustling streets, the paved stones strange under Jomei's feet after the dirt roads of the country, Siensao spoke up with the remark she had been holding back.

"Jomei, speaking as someone who is concerned for your welfare, you're going to find it much easier to get things done if you simply go along with the rules and accept that things are different here, like Reki has."

"I have not," Reki said. "Jomei, I would like to ask a favor. Once I have exchanged this weapon for a more suitable one, I would like you to make a cut along the block so that it appears solid but I can still draw it. I will not become defenseless in a place like this."

"Sure," Jomei said, grinning. "I'll be glad to." Then he glanced at Siensao. "And I appreciate the advice, but if I was the kind of person to follow stupid rules, I'd still be in Teoro."

The merchant shrugged.

"Stupid or not, you will find most people do follow them and will make trouble for you if you don't. Enough rule-breaking will get you jailed or worse. So by all means, do what you will, but I give you fair warning, for your own good."

Jomei scowled fiercely. _What makes this place different than Teoro under the Fire Nation, if that's how it is? What makes the lord of this city different from Takano or Kanetsu? Bones of the earth spirits, I didn't escape from one tyranny to run straight into another, not from anyone. But then...where can I find a place to learn what I need to learn?_

"Yes," Reki said as though she knew his thoughts. "You see now why I dislike cities. It is next to impossible to tell the good from the bad. We are entirely in the power of others, whether or not we wish to be. And they may or may not use that power responsibly. Bear that in mind when considering Siensao's offer."

"Also bear in mind," Siensao put in politely, "that I can help you tell the good and bad apart and that there are good people here if you know where to look. Just as I would trust to Reki if we entered the desert, I hope you two will trust me here." _They really are lucky I ran into them. By themselves they wouldn't last a minute here without offending somebody._

Reki looked at Zoukani, who offered an eloquent shrug. The four of them walked on in silence.

They were able to find the earthbending academy easily, for it was one of the most prominent places in Gaoling, despite, as they learned from the citizens, having only been there for the last half-dozen years or so. The master was clearly doing well for himself, judging by the size of the place and the ornate quality of the construction.

Inside the gates, Jomei could see a large number of younger earthbenders in the courtyard, working with the basic exercises he had suffered through when he was their age: punching pots of dirt or clay or maneuvering small stones around. He gave silent thanks that he was past that stage.

As he walked in, leaving Siensao trying to sell the students various items they could probably do without and Reki leaning absently against the wall, he was met by an older student, who bowed briefly.

"Welcome to Master Yu's earthbending academy. Can I help you?" His tone suggested that helping Jomei was not something he would prefer to be doing, all things considered. He looked extremely tired, his eyes half-closed.

Jomei nodded. "Yes. I'd like to speak with the master about becoming a student here." _Not that I really expect he'll do it for free, but I should try every possible option_.

"Come with me, then." The student led the way, yawning, through a few doors and hallways into another open-air courtyard, this one holding much fewer students. These earthbenders looked to be only five or so years younger than Jomei, save for their leader, who could only be the founder of this place and the person Jomei had come to see.

Master Yu seemed to fit perfectly into these surroundings. He was not a particularly strong or powerful person, that much was easy to see, and he stood at about average height. But it was equally plain that he was a skilled earthbender, drawing his strength from his mind and will much more than his body.

He was an older man, though Jomei saw no gray in his hair, which was long in back, but bound up in front at the precise crown of his head with a small yellow circlet. He also had a beard consisting of three long strands.

He wore a variation on the same earthbending uniform every student here used, a sleeveless, floor-length tunic of darkest green bound by a belt, the color of which signified one's prowess. Yellow squares were embroidered at collar and hem. The outfit included a white undershirt and green forearm wrappings, and his belt, naturally, was black.

As Jomei entered, he was attempting to teach the students the earth coin form, where the earthbender raised an enormous disk with a square cutout that resembled the currency of the Earth Kingdom, and maneuvered it in various ways. Jomei's guide bowed, this time lower and longer.

"Master, this man wishes to join the academy."

Yu carefully lowered the 'coin' he was working with to the ground, and turned to regard Jomei calmly, tucking his arms behind his back. His voice was high and deliberate, suggesting thought was going into each word.

"Well, I'm always pleased to see new faces here. There are too many earthbenders that neglect their art for lack of an instructor. I'll attend to your admission tomorrow morning." He raised a warning finger, as if a thought had just occurred to him.

"Do please bring your money with you. I generally require a week's worth of tuition in advance, but depending on your situation, we may be able to come to an agreement on the matter."

Jomei answered bluntly, "I can't pay. I'll do any work you can give me, but I have no money for lessons. I promise that I will work as hard as I have, and attend every class given. That's all I can offer."

Yu frowned, making a disparaging noise. "I'm sorry, but I cannot simply go around offering free instruction to people. If I did, everyone would get the same idea, and I would find myself in a rather sorry state. As a courtesy, the first lesson is free of charge and I'm sure if you apply yourself, you can find a well-paying position somewhere in Gaoling. But until then, please don't bother me with such outlandish requests. Good day."

He turned back to the students, who had observed the exchange with pitying looks, and began lecturing again. Jomei whirled around, storming out of the room with enough force to send a tremor through the floor at each step. _I don't want their pity, and I don't want any part of this man's academy! Does he think I'm made of silver? People like that make me sick! I'll go elsewhere!_

Returning to the main courtyard, where Siensao was just concluding a sale, he responded to her questioning look with a shake of the head. "No luck here. I'm going to take your advice and try _Earth Rumble_. Do you want to come with?"

"No, thank you," she answered. "I was going to help Reki get a new sword for a good price. But I'll send Zoukani with you to keep you out of trouble." The soldier stepped forward, nodding.

"I'd really appreciate that. Thanks for the help. If you need a favor, let me know."

"Be careful of the champion," Siensao called after the two men. "Since she took the belt in the last tournament, she's never been beaten."

"The little blind girl? That's crazy talk. I'll believe it when I see her in action and not before." The two men walked off, leaving Reki and Siensao alone.

"How does studying philosophy with someone like _that_ free the Earth Kingdom?" Reki asked.

"We all have secrets, Reki of the desert," Siensao said calmly. "That is one of mine. If you wish to hear it, you must give up one of your own. That is fair, is it not?"

"No, it is not," Reki said. "Nothing you do is fair. The world is not fair. You continue to insult my intelligence."

"I apologize, master. I am not used to dealing with people of your caliber."

"Accepted. Let us go, then."

"Indeed. Just follow me." The merchant led the swordswoman through the streets of Gaoling with perfect confidence. Reki did not change in her threatening attitude. The people they passed wondered just which of them was leading the other.

Jomei swore loudly.

"I swear I've seen that tailor's shop three times now! Dammit, we're going in circles." Gaoling was just too big and intricate for him and everyone insisted on giving directions in terms of 'blocks' and turns to the left and right instead of _li_ or so many hours' traveling in a given direction. It was time he admitted it. At least neither of the women were around to witness his humiliation.

"I'm lost," he said to Zoukani. The soldier nodded agreeably and Jomei was struck by a suspicion that he had known that for a while and was waiting for Jomei to realize it before he offered his help.

"You know, I wouldn't have minded so much if you had stepped in," he grumbled. "I'm not too proud to know when I need help."

Zoukani raised both hands and bowed his head in a gesture of apology. He invited the miner to follow him and they set off again, this time with greater confidence.

As they walked, Jomei asked, "So what have you and Reki been talking about, anyway? She seems to enjoy your company better than mine or Siensao's."

Zoukani gestured towards the north, high, as if pointing at something beyond the mountains.

"Ah, you were fighting near the desert?"

A nod and smile.

"So you've both got plenty to talk about regarding that place. Good. You know, I really think she misses it, for all her talk about how terrible it is to live there."

Zoukani nodded, a sad look on his face.

"I guess you know what that's like, to leave your home pretty much forever. It didn't seem like a hard choice when I left, but...I don't know, now that I think about it, I wish I'd gotten the chance to say goodbye properly. At least you can go home whenever you want. Maybe in the army you've got stuff to distract you, but what should I do?"

Zoukani pointed at his feet. They were still walking. Jomei smiled faintly. _Just keep walking._

"Thanks," he said. "I'll remember that from now on."

With the old soldier leading the way, they found the arena easily enough, buried deep underground, beneath a large stony tooth of a hill that loomed over the city to the north. The entrance tunnel was guarded by a pair of earthbenders that were engaged in a heated argument over the merits of the various contestants that were to compete in the next tournament. They showed little interest in Jomei and Zoukani beyond a quick glance to confirm neither of them was wearing the uniform of the city watch, and waved them through.

"I'm telling you, the Boulder is going to win back the belt next year. You should have seen him yesterday."

"You're out of your mind. The Blind Bandit has a stranglehold on that belt, and probably will for the next twenty tournaments. I might not even bother to stay for…"

Their voices faded as Jomei proceeded down the tunnel, which reminded him of the escape route in Teoro, only much broader, reinforced with stone columns, and brightly lit with glowcrystal torches. Soon enough the two of them emerged into the place where earthbenders from around the free world came to pit their skills against each other in all-out battle.

It was meant to impress, and it succeeded. Rows upon rows of stone seating stretched far back into the dimmest recesses of the cavern and a huge mass of crystal lights that took up most of the ceiling, making things nearly as bright as day. Jomei estimated that a couple thousand people could easily fit in here with room to spare.

At the bottom and center of the cavern, separated from the slopes of seats by a wide gap, was an enormous square field of stone made of thick earthbent blocks, and emblazoned with an enormous Earth Kingdom symbol in the center. An announcer's tower, marked with the Earth Rumble symbol, a fist shattering a rock, loomed over one end, though it was currently unoccupied. Even without the benefit of a master of ceremonies, a pair of dueling earthbenders occupied the field. As he watched, one of them was sent flying out of the arena to shatter a section of seating with a resounding boom.

Jomei and Zoukani descended the steps to the base of the arena, where a large group of earthbenders were chatting amiably among themselves between sparring sessions and some were doing simple exercises.

As they approached, and were taken notice of, one of them, a short woman as wide as she was tall, greeted them with a gap-toothed smile and a wave. "Welcome to _Earth Rumble_. I don't think I've seen you two here before. Good to have some new blood around here."

Jomei's answering smile wasn't nearly as big, but it was there. "It's good to be here, but I'm the only earthbender. He's just making sure I don't get lost." _And he did a good job of it._ "I'm just looking for a teacher, not to join the tournament. And before you ask, I can't pay for lessons, I already tried the place in town."

She shook her head slowly.

"It's likely to be much the same here, if that's the case. A lot of the benders here just aren't good enough and most of the ones that are either charge for lessons or don't take students at all. The ringmaster would let you work up a debt, you have to be a fan of The Boulder to stand being around him for very long, and Deng Ce's last three students left because they didn't think he was being serious about his crazy training style. He used to be some kind of monk, you know, he's just nuts about his work."

Jomei sighed.

"Well, I might as well talk to them. Zoukani, do you mind waiting here?" The soldier held up his deck of cards, grinning.

The tournament's ringmaster, Xin Fu, did indeed offer to let Jomei learn on credit, and atrociously large amounts of credit at that, or become part of his team and fight for him in the next tournament. Jomei declined, less than politely. He hoped for better results with the next man, who they found working out among the people below the arena.

'The Boulder' was a little taller than Jomei and bare to the waist, showing off an impressive array of muscles.. With heavy-set features and a short brown beard, he had a self-satisfied air and an arrogant smirk on his face.

"So you seek a master," he said in a loud voice, as if playing to a nonexistent crowd. "Your search is over then, for there are none who dispute The Boulder's mastery of the earthbending art. All who wish to learn some small part of The Boulder's skill are welcome here. It is a fact that I am a former champion and placed second in the previous tournament due to a minor error that has since been corrected. Perhaps you wish a demonstration of The Boulder's prowess?"

Jomei declined once more, though more politely than with the previous offer. He could respect strength to a degree. _How does he stand himself? And who talks like that? I'd leave after the first day._

Deng Ce was a smaller man with an unshakable calm and a shaved head.

"I would be happy to take you as my student," he said. "But first you should know what I expect of those who learn from me. I will demonstrate some of the things you would learn to do." He beckoned his latest student over. By the time he was on the third exercise, Jomei was turning white. He declined, but extremely politely. He did not want to offend this man.

"Sorry you didn't find anyone," the woman said. He'd learned her name was Ma Su by now.

"Where's the current champion?" Jomei asked, determined to try one last thing before giving up. "The Blind Bandit, I mean."

Ma Su chuckled.

"She usually only shows up if there's a fight or if she wants to fight someone. But she doesn't take students anyway."

"I've got to try. Where's she live, then?"

"Nobody knows. Well, maybe Xin Fu does, but he's not telling. Certainly not after the way you turned down his offer."

Jomei ground his teeth. _So what have we learned here?_ a smug little voice asked him. _Not to make people mad until you know where you stand, if at all possible,_ Jomei answered. Not that that helped him now.

"Bones of the earth spirits, I'll find the girl if I have to walk every forsaken mile of this city!"

"Just relax, she usually shows up about this time. I don't think you'll like it, though."

"Hey, boys!" a cheerful, feminine voice called. "I'm back!"

"Right on cue," Ma Su murmured.

Jomei and everyone else turned to look at the owner of that voice, standing in the nearby entryway, with the earthbenders flinching back from the sound. The Boulder looked as though he would rather have been anywhere else just then. Jomei's jaw dropped open.

She was just as Jukai had described. The legendary champion was only a little girl. She stood about half his height, and couldn't possibly be older than eleven or twelve winters. Under other circumstances, she might have looked sweet, but the wicked smirk on her face left no doubt that she was used to getting her way.

She was dressed plainly, in a green shirt and pants under a light yellow overshirt, bound at the waist with a broad belt of studded leather. She wore green bracelets and anklets, a fashion that most earthbenders adopted variants of. Thick black hair was stuffed into an enormous bun at the back of her head, held together with a green headband, and with long bangs hanging down over her eyes.

Yet it was the eyes that Jomei noticed the most. Light green and frosted over, they focused on nothing, and confirmed, beyond doubt, that she was really blind, and not just faking it as a part of her fighting name. Even just based on what he'd heard so far, he could tell she had a forceful personality that made her seem larger than she was. Looking around at how the other earthbenders had suddenly gone silent, Jomei began to wonder if maybe the stories were true after all. He would have to step carefully.

The girl walked lightly through the crowd, which parted before her like she was some kind of royalty.

"So, who's it going to be this time? Come on, just man up and get it over with. Or did I accidentally wander into a flower arranging class? That would explain all these pansies I'm smelling. Or maybe that isn't flowers and it'll be a busy night for the washerwomen."

Jomei, ignoring Ma Su's hissed warnings, stepped forward and called, "Here!"

"Ah! Stupidity at last," the girl said. "You're new, which explains it. What's your fighting name?"

"Don't have one. I'm not here for the tournament, I came here to find out if the stories about you were true. So far, it's looking that way, but anyone can talk big." _Maybe everyone else is willing to sit there and take this crap from her, but I believe in what I see myself. Only fools _talk_ about fighting._

She grinned broadly.

"Nah, those stories aren't true. They haven't invented words yet to describe me, so all you're getting is the watered-down version of events. If you mean you want to fight, then sure, let's fight."

He slammed a fist into the opposite hand, and cracked his knuckles. "Let's take this to the arena."

She laughed loudly. "You're on!" Then she raised herself up on a stone column to the level of the arena.

Ma Su sighed.

"Be careful out there."

"I know what I'm doing," he assured her. "Besides, I didn't come here to win." He followed after the blind girl, wondering what he was getting himself into.

Hopping off the column and pausing a moment to toss his hat down to Zoukani, he strode purposefully over to the opposite end of the arena from the champion. Reaching it, and turning around, he saw that his opponent had yet to assume a stance. Jomei lowered himself into his own earthbending stance without fanfare. He got the feeling that she wouldn't be intimidated by battle cries and blatant displays of power, or else she wouldn't be the champion.

As he closed his hands into fists, she slid gracefully into an odd position that was nonetheless recognizably suited for earthbending. Feet spread, knees bent, but with both arms held out in front of her, palms up and fingers curled. It seemed a little too delicate to shift earth and stone, but after what she'd just done to that big crowd of earthbenders, Jomei wasn't going to assume anything of the kind. That notwithstanding, though, he felt pretty silly, preparing for a tough fight with a little girl.

He waited tensely for a short while, every nerve on edge, holding himself still with an effort. But she only invited him cheerfully, "Any time you feel ready." Jomei took a deep breath. _Alright then. If you want to give away the first move, that's fine with me. I don't know your trick, but I'll find out one way or another._

Springing into action, he shoved upward, and a thick stone column burst out from under him, carrying him twenty feet into the air. He knew she'd have good hearing, so if his attack did not originate from him directly it might fool her. Making a circular slicing motion and punching forward, he launched a hefty section of stone from the bottom of the column towards her.

She stopped it dead in its tracks, catching the attack on both hands without being moved an inch. Jomei had only time to think, _How did she tell where it was coming so precisely?_ before she flung it back at him.

Taken by surprise, he nonetheless braced himself to block, and realized an instant too late that it wasn't aimed at him. The strike shattered the upper half of his column, and Jomei tumbled to the ground under a hail of rubble. Buried under the weight, he thrust out one arm with a mighty shout, and bent most of the rock off himself in a shower of stone shards. He had just raised himself to his hands and knees when he saw a shadow fall over him. Turning around, he saw the lower half of his column falling at him, _much_ too fast.

It impacted him squarely, and though he caught it with outstretched hands, he was off balance and forced to the ground, with everything below his neck in danger of being pinned. As he gathered himself to shove it off, he heard an intense rumbling, and a huge section of stone broke free of the arena, moving to hover directly over him. Tilting his head back as much as he could, he saw the girl smiling at him. His eyes widened. Lowering her hands, she let the stone fall.

_Boom!_ Jomei cried out at the hideous weight that now pressed down upon him, slowly forcing his arms back. Straining hard enough that his face turned red with effort, he pushed both rocks upward, inch by agonizing inch. Then, a _third_ immense section of stone was maneuvered into view. Very quietly, he whispered, _"Oh, spirits, no._" Then it too fell.

_Boom!_ Jomei was now very thoroughly pinned, and it was all he could do to lift his burden enough to breathe. He heard footsteps coming his way, and soon enough, the girl's face came into view, looking down at him with that same triumphant smirk.

"Well?" she asked smugly. "Is that enough for you?"

"Can't…breathe…" he wheezed, feeling his strength starting to fail.

"Just nod, then."

Jomei nodded frantically, his eyes bulging out with effort. _You win, dammit! Just let me up already!_ The girl made a show of considering his sincerity, and shrugged.

"Well, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off easy." With a grunt of effort, she tipped the enormous stack of stones off him. As he lay there, sucking in great gulps of air, she said, "Stay away from the tournament until you improve a little. Trust me, you wouldn't last a minute out there." She raised a foot, probably to catapult him out of the arena, but he managed to wheeze a single word.

"Wait.."

"Yeah?"

Jomei turned over and raised himself to hands and knees, almost unable to believe what he was doing.

"Please, take me as your student. I need to learn earthbending to save my village and you're my last hope in this city."

"Hey, don't come running to me with a sob story," she answered, not sounding terribly sympathetic. "And even if I did take students, I'd probably want somebody who can last more than half a minute against me. You'd be a waste of my time."

"But what about the war, I could fight it better if I learned from you!"

The girl's face twisted into a scowl.

"Not my problem. Now go away." She slammed her foot down and Jomei went flying.

He hit the stands hard, barely catching himself in time and saving his teeth. It still hurt, and he was unable to do anything but lie there, feeling as though half his bones were broken and the other half shattered, his breathing loud and noisy.

When he felt sufficiently recovered to move, Jomei dragged himself to his feet, spitting out pebbles. He pounded a fist against the stone, shattering a large section of it.

"Damned arrogant brat! It's people like her that let the Fire Nation win!" _That was the answer I was looking for, though. There's nothing for me in this city. It's time I made a choice. I need to talk to Siensao._

_

* * *

_

"I trust we are actually going to enter a shop at some point," Reki said. "Or do you wish to question the entire city on the history of every weapons and armor shop in the city and all their sources?"

"Well, if I thought I could do that without being a nuisance and in a reasonable amount of time, yes," Siensao answered with a smile. "But I think I know enough now. We'll try the _Riddle of Steel_, they sound like a good combination of quality and economy."

"You have seen almost none of these places or people with your own eyes," Reki reminded her as they headed towards the place in question, only a few blocks away. "So how do you know that?"

"What would you have done, walk around to all of them? It would have taken a lot more time."

"And that time would have been better spent than listening to secondhand information. Unlike you and Jomei, I refuse to substitute speed and unreliable knowledge for experience. Consider it a lesson from the master to disciple."

"I shall."

"But will you learn it?"

"I suppose I will have to try."

Reki nodded approvingly.

"Good. There is a small chance you will succeed with that attitude." The two of them stepped inside.

Entering the shop, Siensao threw an appraising glance around, and her smile became wider. The owner did indeed know his business. A dark stone counter ran around the three sides of the Riddle of Steel, and the ample space in the center was mostly filled with low racks of smaller or plainer weapons. The items of quality were hung or racked behind the counter, where the customer would have to specifically request they be taken down for consideration. One portion of the center, though, held several thin bundles of straw, meant to give a prospective buyer a way to test the cutting edge and handling of a blade simultaneously.

Nearly every kind of weapon in the world must have been mounted on the walls, or resting in one of the racks. In just a brief glance, Siensao saw war fans from Kyoshi Island, curved sabers and scimitars from the Si Wong Desert, ornate twin dao from the Fire Nation forges, exotic hookswords from the northwest Earth Kingdom, and even a spear that had the distinctive blue-white bone of Water Tribe make.

Moving further in, and turning around slowly to take in the sights, she noted a pair of earthbenders tucked away in alcoves on either side of the door. _I was just wondering why the floor and counters are stone. Anyone who can afford earthbender guards is quite well off, even here._ Perhaps a half-dozen other customers were engaged in various types of business, either inspecting weapons or speaking with one of the three assistants on duty.

"Impressive," Reki said. "In a greedy, pretentious sort of way."

"I'm glad you approve. Which one do you want? And don't point at it or they'll know and charge more."

Reki's gaze swept across the glittering array of steel and came to rest on one point, low on the left wall.

"That saber there, the third from the bottom with the black hilt. I will try that one. In the desert, we would call it a _saif_."

"Good, good. Let me do the talking." The two women walked over to the counter. The assistant on duty, an older man with grey hair and beard, bowed politely.

"What can I do for you, ladies?"

Siensao gave him a dazzling smile.

"My friend here is interested in a new sword," she said, taking care to pronounce her words so they could be interpreted as entirely different from their literal meaning. Reki stood and listened with half an ear, already weary of the merchants' negotiations. They talked for some time, with Siensao feigning interest in half a dozen swords other than the one Reki wanted and having them taken down for handling. Reki tested their quality and handed them back, waiting patiently for the merchant to get it over with. Finally, the plain saber was handed over.

Reki examined the weapon more closely, resting it on a finger to test the balance. Single-edged, with a slight curve upwards towards the end. Good steel, no nicks, scratches, or flaws that she could see. The knuckle guard was polished brass, with no engravings, the grip was dark wood bound with a thin layer of brown leather for a better grip, and the pommel was brass as well. She performed a few simple moves, getting to know the blade's spirit. _Responsive and quick. Good_. The final test, then, was the cutting edge. Walking over to one of the straw dummies, she grasped the hilt with both hands and swung with all her strength. She was not gifted in that regard, making sharpness all the more important. She managed to bury the sword a quarter of the way through the bundled straw. She turned back to Siensao and nodded once.

"This will serve."

Ignoring the continued negotiations over price, she pried the sword free. _Know the spirit before you know the name_, her old teacher used to say. _I will give her a name, then._

Siensao finally finished arguing and Reki exchanged the Fire Nation blade for the new one. The two women left the shop, both of them satisfied with the day's work.

"Learn this," Reki said. "It is said among the tribes of the Si Wong that a sword has a spirit. A warrior must learn to become one with that spirit, learn its ways. Only then can they fight to their greatest potential. Your weapon is your life and you must care for it accordingly. And the first part of this task is to honor it with a name. Have you done so?"

"I have not, but I can do so easily enough."

"Good. I name this blade _Sayyid_." The implications of the name were known only to Reki. It was a boy's name, for one thing, and for another, it meant _'Master'_ in the tongue of the desert. Both interpretations of the name were accurate.

Siensao was not quite as quick.

"I'll have to think about a name," she said. "But I'll let you know when I come up with one. May I ask what your previous sword was like, by the way? I've heard tales, but never any that seemed true."

"It was a _saif_, like this one, only a true masterwork. Aside from that, it was quite plain. The differences are minor. Only fools concerned with appearances and wealth covet anything else than this as far as weapons go. The weapon you trust your life to is not meant to impress or to appear as anything other than what it is. I have extended this to myself. I do not appear as anything other than what I am."

"Are you so sure?" Siensao asked. "Knowing who you are, I find that difficult to believe. You're not like you were and people don't just change like that. What happened? Nobody that might have known the truth would tell me."

"They were sworn to secrecy, to conceal the shame," Reki said sharply. "And it is _not_ your business, Siensao Zhang Ai. I speak the truth. I do not appear as anything other than what I am."

"And what are you?"

"A warrior, Siensao Zhang Ai. Just as you are a trader, one who thinks she can trade the death of men for the peace of a kingdom at a bargain price."

Siensao's voice became quiet, though no less polite.

"If you knew anything about Ba Sing Se, you wouldn't say that," she said. "But I promise you, that is not who I am. I've see where that path leads."

"Your mouth says one thing, your actions say another. In studying the sword, I have learned that actions are all that matter. That is how I can see past lies and illusions. If you wish to save the Earth Kingdom, you must learn this skill and apply it to yourself. I will not have a disciple of mine engaging in such deception."

Siensao restrained herself from several cutting remarks she could have made. If there was one thing she prided herself on, it was being rational about everything, and that included recognizing her own flaws. If there was another thing, it was never descending to your opponent's level in debate.

"What I think," she said, "is that at least I can minimize the number of people that have to die for this peace and that it will not be a false one. Can you honestly say that another decade of war and tens of thousands of deaths is the better way? War is a terrible thing and to be avoided whenever possible."

"I said nothing of the kind, nor do I disagree with you about war. But you must know what you are doing."

"What am I doing?"

"You are not yet ready to learn that lesson."

Siensao smiled, though it was somewhat strained.

"Then if we stay together after today, I look forward to our future studies."

The four travelers met again, under the late afternoon sun, just outside the inn that Siensao was staying at. It was cool and breezy, cold in the shade. In the fading light, Gaoling had settled down to enjoy an evening of peace and pleasure. By the absence of either emotion on Jomei's face, Siensao guessed he hadn't found an earthbending teacher. _Good. So he's ready to talk. All it will take is a little nudge and the first step is taken_.

Sure enough, the first thing he said was, "Siensao, I want to talk about this studying thing of yours. I didn't find a teacher here."

Reki's disapproval was evident.

"Fine. You do that, then. I have other business to attend to." She turned to leave.

"Wait," Jomei said flatly. "If you're just going to pour a few barrels of wine down your throat, then I have to talk to you first. Come on." The two of them moved off a short ways, while Zoukani handed a piece of paper to Siensao and the two began their usual half-spoken, half-gestured conversation.

"So," Reki said. "Talk. I will listen."

"You need to stop this drinking business. It's going to kill you."

"Quite possibly," she agreed matter-of-factly. "Why should that concern you? Even assuming you did join the army, our agreement was that I would leave at Omashu. You will never hear of me again, most likely. Why should you care?"

"Because there's so much you could do for the Earth Kingdom and you act like it doesn't matter! I've seen you fight, I know you're better than me at it, why don't you join the army too, or even find work as a mercenary, or something? Anything is better than just sitting around waiting to die! You could have done that in Teoro!"

"In Teoro I would have been worked to death, not sitting around."

"You know what I mean!"

"I am a warrior who has grown weary of war. What then should I do? Teach others to destroy as I have done? Why? Why should I help people kill each other? I only agreed to teach Siensao because she wishes to end the war and is only interested in her swordsmanship as a defense and I do not expect our lessons to last very long. Tell me, then, what should I do?"

"Fight anyway! Even if you hate it! I hate it, but I'm damned well going to do it. And if I can do it, you can do it. It's for the Earth Kingdom, isn't that reason enough?"

"What is the Earth Kingdom to me? It has done nothing for the tribes of the Si Wong but try and keep them out, leaving us to scrabble over every sip of water. The Earth Kingdom never did anything for them. Perhaps the Fire Nation will treat the desert better."

"The Fire Nation will treat you worse!"

"Quite possibly. So if both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation wish the desert to remain poor and savage, I will fight for neither of them. Once more, what then is left for me?"

"You want to help the tribes? Fight for the Earth Kingdom and make them see what your people can do. They can change."

"A very slim chance."

"It's better than what you're doing."

"I doubt that. The Earth Kingdom would never suffer me to fight for it and if they did, it would be as an ally of convenience, forgotten as soon as they were out of danger. Enough. You are beginning to annoy me."

"Look, at least make a start. Zoukani agreed to go with you and make sure you don't have so much wine that you can't walk. If you can just do that, I'd be happy." His next word sounded as though it was costing him. "Please?"

Reki shrugged.

"Since I remain in your debt, I will indulge this stupidity of yours. You could have said that first instead of blathering on."

"I'm just trying to help."

"In this matter, I do not want your help. Good evening." She walked off, Zoukani following after, leaving Jomei with a disappointed scowl. _I just can't understand her. How does somebody get to be that hopeless?_ His next thought chilled him to the bone. _Maybe that's what war does to a person that isn't strong enough. And the mines nearly broke me. If war is worse..._ He didn't want to think about that.

Siensao had located a small tea shop not far from where she was staying and she and Jomei took a corner table. She didn't gloat in the slightest, which made him feel at least a little better about what he was doing.

"This course of study of yours," he said finally, having collected his thoughts while Siensao waited for her tea, "Will I get the chance to really fight, I mean, really see what war is like?"

"I can't promise that because I honestly don't know what the individual lessons entail," she answered. _Though I have studied them closely and can make an educated guess._ "However, based on the accounts of past students during times of war, I believe such fighting is not without precedent and it is highly likely that yes, you will be able to fight. I must stress, of course, that a skirmish or even a battle is not the same as being a soldier."

"One battle is all I need to free Teoro," Jomei said. "If I can get used to that, I'll deal with the war later. This group of masters that teaches this thing, I've been thinking and I honestly don't get why they're doing this. I know you told me it was to pass down wisdom and all that, but even now, with this war on, and for free? It sounds like the ground crumbling out from under me, you know what I mean?"

"I know what you mean." Siensao took a sip of tea. _Not the best I've ever had, it must be said, but tolerable._ "When I say free, I mean it won't cost you money. You'd be expected to make yourself useful in whatever else the instructor does besides teaching and as I said, if you start the course, you must finish it, though there is some latitude in how long it takes you to get from one location to the next. In one case, a student took five years to move from Earth to Fire because he stopped to help a town rebuild after a flood. And when traveling, you are responsible for your own expenses. Since I assume you don't want to owe me anything, you'll be working your way across the Earth Kingdom. So, is it truly free? No. Do the instructors do it purely because of the desire to teach? No. I do generalize, but it is not so far off from the truth."

Jomei relaxed._ That makes sense, and it sounds a lot more realistic than what I was thinking. Maybe Reki's right, to learn how to fight a war I need to join the army, but I only need to learn how to fight a battle._ Knowing that idea would be put to the harshest test, he examined it over and over in his mind, and could find no flaw. And he still had until they got to Omashu to reconsider, anyway.

"All right," he said. "For now, I'm in." _Maybe Granddad did know what he was talking about. I'm still not sure about that, though._ He offered a hand. Siensao grasped it firmly without hesitation.

"You have my thanks, then."

* * *

Reki and Zoukani sat side by side in one of the lower-class taverns of Gaoling. The soldier had his sandbox out, but made no move to 'speak.' Reki looked at him with respect.

"I am sorry we did not get a chance to speak back at Sekana," she said. "I hardly expected to find you employed as a common mercenary. Such a tactic is dishonorable, so most Fire Nation soldiers say. You must have finally gone too far in your arguments. And so you are silenced. Why not return home?"

Zoukani sighed.

_I would not be welcomed there. I work for Siensao because she can make use of what I know and is willing to tolerate a bodyguard that can't speak. I have nowhere else to go._

"You are better off than me, then. I have nowhere to go."

_Except to the bottom of that wine jar, apparently._

"I have heard enough of that from Jomei."

_He's right, you know. That will kill you. Under other circumstances I wouldn't have minded, but seeing you this way is disconcerting. I found out what happened._

Reki froze. When she turned to look at Zoukani, her expression was that of someone prepared to kill very soon.

"How?" she asked quietly. The old soldier had a grim look on his face.

_My division took a prisoner who had been sworn to secrecy about the event. When he was interrogated, he tried to buy his life with anything else than the information we wanted. He died without saying anything about that, but he had plenty to say about you._

"I hope that he died screaming and that his soul was lost to fire," Reki growled. "He did not have the right."

_No, he didn't. But I know, regardless. So if you want to talk about it-_

"_That_ was what you wanted to talk about?" Reki snapped, her eyes flashing. "_Never._"

_It will destroy you to keep it to yourself. I have seen it happen before, to soldiers that I admired._

She shrugged.

"I will be dead anyway in a month or so."

_That is entirely up to you._

"Not if I wish to rid the world of a monster."

_You can't do that _and _live?_

"I have not found a way, no."

Zoukani nodded thoughtfully.

_For your sake, I hope you find one. Let's talk of something else then. I admit, I have always wanted to speak to many of my enemies._

"Indeed."

* * *

After leaving the tea shop, Siensao sought out an establishment that she would not normally have been caught dead in—a small gambling house in the more disreputable section of Gaoling. A lurid red lantern hung outside, swaying in the breeze, and marking it as a place that asked no questions of its clients, provided their money was good.

Inside, coins clinked, dice rattled, and large quantities of money changed hands with alarming rapidity, punctuated by victorious shouts and the groans of the losers. Dimly lit by more lanterns dangling from the ceiling, it gave one a feeling of being just part of the darkness.

A few Pai Sho boards were crammed into the back, almost as an afterthought, and most of them were unoccupied. Sitting at one of them was a young man that fit the picture of a noble going slumming, complete with carefully worked mustache, immaculate robes and hair, and a few jeweled rings decorating his fingers.

She knelt down opposite him, laying aside her pack and staff, and asked politely, "May I have this game?"

He gestured languidly for her to proceed. "The guest has the first move."

She selected a particular tile from the neat stack on her side of the board, and placed it in the center with a sharp _click!_

The noble raised an eyebrow, sitting up straighter. "I see you favor the White Lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways."

She smiled warmly. "But those who do can always find a friend."


	7. City of Stone and Sword

A/N: And so begins what I like to call the Omashu arc. Persistence will be rewarded, destinies will be revealed, and so on. Thanks as usual to PetertheChameleon and Sylvacoer for their editing work. Enjoy the show.

* * *

The sun rose late and cold into a cloudless sky. Its feeble rays glinted off the thick layer of frost that covered the earth and painted the grass with silver patterns of ice. It was that curious time between the fall of the last leaf of autumn and the first snowflake of the winter, when the world seemed to hesitate, lost in a day that seemed a pale shadow of both seasons. Yet life endured, and the growing light in the east prompted the first stirrings of the four travelers huddled around the ashes of a small campfire.

Jomei was the first to awaken and he got to his feet without hesitation, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He ignored the ghost of a hated voice at the back of his mind that told him to _Rise and shine, we're burning daylight!_ and the memory of cold iron walls. Interlacing his hands, he cracked his knuckles above his head, stretching upwards. He was stiff from sleeping on the ground and out in the open, but that would vanish within a few minutes of brisk walking.

Taking a deep breath of the crisp, clean air to clear his head, he looked around at the land they were passing through, and felt a familiar pride rise within him. It was the confidence and peace that only came with being in a place that had left its essence in your bones, and that you knew you could always find your way in. A quiet little smile spread across his face. _I'm finally back where things make sense_.

He was standing upon a low, grassy hill that, despite the frost, was much softer under his feet than the gravel and dirt of the road, and the massive Kolau Mountains rose around him. Although the mighty peaks were stepping stones compared to what he had grown up in, they nonetheless towered over the rolling green slopes and stony bluffs of the Sei San hills to the south.

They were a dry, rocky place just now, though he knew that once winter set in, everything would be lost under a cold white blanket. The mountains had been worn down with the passage of time, rounded and smoothed by running water and endless winds. In the gaps between them wound a vast interconnected series of valleys, canyons, and river-carved ravines, providing a sanctuary where patches of green and brown could be seen. But here on the heights, the freezing gusts scoured the land bare, leaving mostly brown stone and snowcapped summits, though a low evergreen forest held stubbornly to life amongst the boulders just below. It was a raw land, and a hard land, but one that he had grown to love, and it felt good to be back on familiar territory.

Zoukani had taken the last watch, as usual, and was sitting on a nearby stone, his spear propped against his shoulder. He might as well have been sitting there for centuries. He had that kind of look. The old soldier nodded to Jomei, and, standing up, went about getting the campfire going again for the morning meal. The miner would have wagered a hundred gold pieces that Zoukani could start a fire in a blizzard.

Reki was the next to rise, though the dark circles under her eyes made Jomei sure that she had never really slept. She never did when she wasn't drinking, and it had been two days since the last village. It wasn't pleasant to listen to her nightly unrest. Jomei had quickly grown to dislike her incessant muttering, especially since he understood none of it. But as she slept with her sword clutched in one hand he had little inclination to disturb her. He now understood he'd gotten very, _very_ lucky in Sekana.

Blinking blearily, she rubbed an arm across her eyes, muttering dark imprecations against the sun. Seeing him already up, she growled, "What are you smiling at?"

He made a broad gesture that took in everything around them.

"This," he said. "All of...this. It reminds me of home." In the weeks since they left Gaoling and took ship around the southwestern coast, he'd had a lot of time to deal with Teoro. It wasn't enough, but it was something. "You must have some fond memories of the desert," he continued. "Not the people and whatever happened to you there, just the desert itself, I mean."

Reki nodded slowly.

"I do. But they are few. And it is useless to dwell upon that which is lost. A lesson you have yet to learn."

Zoukani's efforts with flint and steel produced faint curls of smoke from the tinder.

Jomei frowned.

"Siensao says we'll make Omashu today. What are you going to do then?"

Reki's reply was cruel in its simplicity and unconcern.

"My answer to that question will not change no matter how many times you ask it. Die slowly, most likely, just as you said. What of it? We have had this discussion before and it always ends with you storming off. Skip to that part and save us both some time."

The tinder browned and twisted, and the smoke grew thicker. Zoukani ceased striking sparks and blew gently upon the smoldering embers.

"It's just..." Jomei lowered his voice, hesitating. After trying so hard to make himself strong, it took something to admit weakness. But it was nothing less than the truth. And honesty was all-important, even when it hurt. "I don't know what I'll do without you, all right? You keep telling me you're a terrible person and I shouldn't want to be anything like you or keep your company or anything like that, but I don't care. As long as I can trust you, nothing else matters. I...I don't want to be alone again. So I'm asking you, please, don't do this."

For a fraction of a second, Jomei thought he saw stark terror on her face. Then she was glaring at him so fiercely that he backed away a step or two. When she answered, it became clear she was barely holding back on overwhelming rage.

"You are incredibly selfish," she snarled. "_Your_ escape is more important than the treatment of the villagers, _your_ village is more important than the rest of the Earth Kingdom, and now this. I told you I was sick and tired of fighting and now you _dare_ to tell me I'm not done with it? You have the _gall_ to tell me that even though my debt is paid I have to stick around and nursemaid you through blood and death because you can't get over your paranoia long enough to start living in the real world again and find someone else? What gives you the right? Tell me that ,what gives you the right to ask this of me? What_? Tell me!_"

The tinder caught fire and it spread rapidly to the larger twigs.

Once Jomei was sure she wasn't going to attack and a faint hint of color returned to his face, he tried to find the words to explain.

"Nothing," he said. "Nothing gives me the right. I _am_ selfish and I _am_ a coward and I'm asking anyway. But if I'm selfish, so are you, just throwing yourself away like this without concern for how it affects anyone else, for not helping people when you could make a difference. Every Earth Kingdom soldier that falls, you might have been able to save them. You might have been able to help. If you could fight and don't, you're still responsible for a lot of death. I have to live with that every day and so do you. If you help me, than maybe both of us can learn to be a little less selfish. I've seen you drinking less than you did when we met. I know it's possible. For both our sakes, please help me."

Reki turned away.

"I am truly sorry," she said quietly, seeming smaller somehow. "I cannot. If I joined the fight once more, it would only bring sorrow for everyone, myself included. Someday, you will understand." She walked over and kicked Siensao in the side. "And you! Stop pretending you're asleep! The whole damned mountain could hear that."

Siensao scrambled to get up, apologizing.

Jomei sighed, sitting back down next to the rebuilt fire. _I just don't get it._ Zoukani patted him on the shoulder, offering a sympathetic look. Picking up one of his spare twigs, he scratched a few characters into the frozen earth_. She's right._

Reki and Siensao were off into the evergreen forest soon after that, facing each other in a small clearing. The trees offered a little shelter from the breeze, which had a sharp edge to it that cut through Reki's desert garb and Siensao's woolen robe with equal ease, making them both shiver. Morning dew glinted on every leaf, turning the branches into brilliant constellations of light, and the grass crackled under their feet, stiff with frost. Reki bore it as stoically as she did everything, and Siensao was not about to show weakness in front of her instructor.

Reki stood, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Siensao was in horse stance, one hand on her sword hilt, the other gripping the sheath just before the guard.

"Dawn's Light," Reki snapped.

Siensao's sword leapt from the scabbard as she cut at where the opponent's eyes would be. There were many different methods of drawing and sheathing the sword, and many stances within each of the Five Sword Dances besides the basic ones. Reki had spent their time traveling in teaching Siensao every last one. Traditionally, the disciple spent a year doing nothing but this kind of training before they were even allowed to hold a real sword, so Reki was being extremely lenient and decreasing that time due to Siensao's previous martial arts training. The merchant sheathed her sword.

"Assassin's End!"

Siensao made as if hitting someone in the gut with the end of her scabbard, then drew, turning around as she did so.

"Rising Star!"

"Dawn's Light Reversed!"

"Close-Quarter Strike!"

And so it went. Reki continued to put Siensao through her paces until she was satisfied that progress was being made.

Though she might scorn Siensao's ideals, she was glad, in a way, of their sessions. It was one more thing to cling to against the embrace of the darkness, a reason to live, giving her purpose. But it was not enough. _All this will do is give her false confidence, anyway._

When Reki finally ceased snapping commands, Siensao was feeling much less stiff and breathing heavier than she had been previously. Her face was flushed with exertion. Reki nodded grudgingly.

"Acceptable—barely. And I've seen your progress in stretches, less to complain about there. It helps that you were already doing most of them before I began. Your strength is your greatest asset so far, so keep up with your exercises." Placing her hands together, she bowed formally. "You are ready to begin learning the Sword Dances"

Seeing a small smile on Siensao's face, Reki clarified, "Don't think that you have mastered these moves. All I have done is ensure you won't lop any of your own limbs off when practicing, and that you will actually look like a marginally competent swordswoman when you draw."

Siensao bowed slightly, still smiling "I am eager to learn."

Reki sighed. _So eager, so impetuous. The sooner she's blooded, the better_. "Then learn this: The tribes of the Si Wong call battle a dance because of the grace, skill, power, and passion that go into it. In many ways, it is like a strange dream." She drew her sword and began a slow _kata_. Siensao recognized it as part of the performance she'd been doing on the road. It was the part that had revolved around speed, even with the deliberate motions it was possible to see that. Reki's feet never stopped moving, carrying her through evasions, dodges, and quick strikes, and her hands were light on the sword hilt, whirling the blade in delicate flicks and spirals that caught the light and deceived the eye. As she moved, she spoke.

"Each of the dances has its own unique character and style, each is suited for a different way of death. The first four are drawn from the strengths of the four elements, and the fifth is the pinnacle of the warrior's craft. I myself have not mastered it, so I do not have the right to speak of it. This _kata_ is called _Warm Breeze_, the basic set of the Dance of the Whispering Winds. This dance embodies the element of Air. Above all else, its essence is this: 'I am the wind, swift and untouchable.' The enemy cannot harm what they cannot hit." Glancing back at where they had left Jomei, she remarked, "Earthbenders are mighty, but painfully slow in the attack. All the power and skill in the world mean nothing if you can be outmaneuvered, outthought, and are not fast enough to strike back."

Concluding the set, she looked over at Siensao, and said, "This style is not entirely defensive, however. It is about speed. If you are swift enough, you can shred the enemy with twenty cuts and let him bleed to death. If you are clever enough, you can allow the land to do your fighting for you. If you are untouchable, sooner or later, your enemy will become tired, make a mistake, and they will not be fast enough to stop the killing blow. So, tell me, what are you?"

"I am the wind, swift and untouchable."

"Good answer."

The sun rose steadily into the sky, though it brought little more light. The days were growing shorter. The Kolau Mountains stood as silent sentinels, as they had for years uncounted, bearing witness to Jomei's exertions. He could feel his fine control improving, though it still required all his concentration to keep a few pebbles in a steady dance above his hand. The other exercise Siensao had suggested, using earthbending to draw calligraphy in the ground, was still pitiful scrawling. But now he was lost in thought. These days, it seemed like he thought too much.

_There must be something left for that woman, I just can't think of it. There's got to be a way. I didn't save her life just so she could throw it away again. I'll ask Siensao and Zoukani, maybe they have some ideas. They want to keep her around as much as I do. Maybe she's right about everything she said, but even if there's no hope, that can change. That's what I should have said. I only think of these things about a day after when it would have done any good. _

About then he heard Reki and Siensao coming back, so he pushed away thoughts about connections and stood up.

"So do you think we can make it to Omashu today?" he asked.

Siensao tried unsuccessfully to smother a laugh. "I'd think so, yes."

He frowned_. She never laughs but when she thinks she's got something brilliant up her sleeve. This, I do not like_.

Wary of some new kind of clever trick, he asked, "What's so funny?"

She pointed to the low hill before them. "If both of you will accompany me to the top of that hill, I'll show you."

Jomei shrugged. _It isn't worth making a fuss over_. He followed Siensao up the hill, Reki coming along behind him. He could feel her eyes burning into his backside. It was slippery going, to be sure, with the hill's rough and rolling ground and the heavy frost. But he got up to the crest without much trouble.

As the land beyond rose up before him, he stopped in his tracks as though he had struck a wall, his mouth dropping open. He was too stunned to be embarrassed. Siensao extended one arm and declared proudly, "I give you the great city of Omashu."

Jomei had often wondered what Omashu was like. He had conjured visions of stone spires that touched the clouds, a great sea of tiled rooftops, and stone walls a hundred feet thick. The real thing was all of that and more, beyond anything he had been able to imagine, beyond anything he had dared to dream possible.

Omashu had been _carved_ out of a mountain. Impossible as it seemed, there could be no other explanation because the lower half of the mountain was still there. Its rugged sides fell away in favor of immense stone walls that had to be hundreds of feet high and thick enough to stand off an army of earthbenders. Huge platforms, evenly spaced, held stacks of heavy stones. With enough benders, they could be thrown for miles.

Within the walls rose a mammoth pyramid of stone, once the mountain's heart, now shaped and sculpted by countless hands. Its many levels were overflowing with buildings of every size and description, blurring into a seamless mass. It rivaled several nearby natural peaks for sheer size. And three smaller pyramids were evenly spaced around the central one, similarly covered, and merging into the larger one at three of its corners to make high ridges.

Taken together, the whole city was so big that from where he was standing he couldn't even see the people. It had to be at least a few miles away and was surrounded on all sides by a vast gorge whose bottom was far, far below. The only way in or out looked to be a narrow ridge of stone that switchbacked up to the gates with a drop of thousands of feet on either side.

It was a fortress that had withstood a hundred years of war and everything the Fire Nation had to throw at it. It was the biggest city in the southern Earth Kingdom, home to some of the greatest masters and skilled warriors alive. Jomei knew at once why Siensao had refused to describe it to him. She had said he wouldn't believe it unless he saw it. Now that he did see it, he too knew that it could only be called by its name. Omashu.

Siensao kept silent in respect and allowed him time to recover. When he finally found his voice, it was unsteady and awed.

"How…how long did it take to _build_ all of that?"

"Centuries," she said, pride filling her voice and causing her to stand straighter, if possible. "Those who began the work didn't live to see what you see today. Omashu is as old as earthbending itself."

Reki had been visibly shaken by the mountain stronghold, and said, so soft that Siensao knew she wasn't meant to hear it, "So there is no blasphemy beyond you people. How fitting."

She turned to Siensao and said in a normal voice, "I could have done without your juvenile attempt at theatrics."

Siensao rolled her eyes. "Oh, let me have my fun."

Jomei tore his eyes away from the city with a great effort and turned, moving back down the hill. _The answers are there. They must be! How can such a place not have what I want?_ He, too, like Reki, was conflicted over what to feel. _I would never want Teoro to become like that, not in a thousand years. But…if it was…we would never have fallen to the Fire Nation. There surely must be great good here. Is it worth the evil?_

After the women had a brief breakfast, the group made good time, and couple hours walking brought them to the base of the pathway to the gates. From their campsite it had looked narrow and treacherous. But now that they set foot upon it, Jomei could see it was wide enough for four ostrich-horses to ride side-by-side. He had many questions about what they would find, but couldn't seem to voice them. Siensao, as always, was there to fill the silence.

"You know, there's a rather curious tale about Omashu's founding."

Jomei rolled his eyes.

"Every child in the south knows that story."

"I do not," Reki said quietly, and Jomei resigned himself to hearing the tale again.

"Excellent! I'll tell you, then," Siensao said, delighted.

She fell into the cadence of a storyteller once again, and as before, Jomei was drawn into the tale she was weaving. It was a fine story, but too simplistic for Jomei. After everything he'd been through, he didn't believe warring villages would suddenly stop just because some woman told them to. By the time Siensao finished, one of the guards hailed them for they had come within ten paces of the great gates, which were solid stone and bearing the Earth Kingdom symbol in the center. There were four of them, all wearing Earth Army uniforms and all earthbenders.

"Halt!" the guard on the far left thundered. His rank insignia marked him as a lieutenant, he was a big person, and he was more than willing to use both of those advantages. Striding forward, he said, "State your business in Omashu and be quick about it." He raked his eyes across the motley group, looking for an excuse to deny them entry.

Siensao gave her usual perfunctory bow, but when she straightened up, there was still a smile on her face.

"Taisho, you haven't changed a bit. You really don't have a good memory for faces, do you?"

The guard's face scrunched up as he cast about for any recollection that might pertain to this meeting. He shook his head, abandoning the effort.

"I don't know if we've met. But if we have, you know I'm not a patient man either, so state your business before I lose what's left of it." He leaned forward, towering over her.

She wasn't fazed. "Perhaps this will jog your memory. Do you recall the trader that extended you a small loan a few months or so ago?"

_That_ definitely struck a chord with Taisho, and he roared delightedly, "Ha! Siensao! I thought that voice sounded familiar." He clapped her on the shoulder hard enough that she swayed on her feet, but she didn't seem offended.

He continued, smiling wider than the gorge surrounding the city, "I remember you now! I'm not about to forget the person that lent me enough silver to pay off that damned moneylender. I've got enough laid by to pay you back when I get off duty, by the way."

She shook her head. "Who knows but that I might need a favor someday? Keep it for now. And my business is still business. I'm here to buy and sell, as before."

Taisho saluted Zoukani, no doubt in deference to the old uniform he wore, then looked over to Jomei and Reki and his face hardened again as he put personal feelings aside in favor of his duty. "They friends of yours?"

"Alas, in business one has no friends, only associates, so it is said. I hope for that to change, yet at the moment they are fellow travelers."

Taisho nodded and left the merchant to loom over Reki.

"State your name and business in our city," he demanded.

"My name is Reki," Reki answered, meeting his gaze calmly. "And my trade is the sword."

"What's that supposed to mean, you're a mercenary?"

"Absolutely not. I am a warrior."

"Not much of one. Another rat-viper running from the war, huh? Well don't expect a warm welcome. We have enough of your lot in the city already. If you know what's right for you, you'll head to Ba Sing Se. At least there you'll be sure of eating regularly. We've been on half rations every other week, and it's only going to get worse."

Reki snapped back, "And walking the thousands of miles to Ba Sing Se is better than half rations how? I may as well starve here as be caught by the Fire Nation."

Taisho leaned in close and growled, "You just watch yourself, woman. I don't much like your attitude. Why should I let you into my city when you'll just be one more mouth to feed and a foul mouth, too?"

Her answer was just as blunt. "Because I don't think you want my death on your conscience."

He glowered at her briefly, but made no reply, and instead took two long steps over to Jomei.

"What about you? And make it fast."

"Jomei. Teoro Village was conquered by the Fire Nation. I'm the only one that got away. I came here to get help."

Taisho's expression softened and his voice became sympathetic.

"Sorry to hear that. It seems like they get five new villages every day. If you join the army, they'll probably post you to a company in the south."

"I'll remember that."

Taisho returned to his original post and signaled the men on the top of the wall. As the great gates began to slide open, he waved them forward.

"Enjoy Omashu and behave yourselves, or the guard will haul you in faster than you can blink."

As Siensao passed, he said quietly, "If you want to catch up on the news, I get off duty at sunset. Good luck to you."

They entered into the city and the gates slammed shut behind them hard enough to shake the ground. Jomei drank in his first sight of the city proper.

The enormous central pyramid took up most of the sky in front of him, looming over the rest of the city as though any moment it would fall and grind anything beneath it into dust. He could make out some of the details of the buildings and what he could see was intricate beyond common conception, with walkways and bridges and houses comprising a complex web far above him.

If Gaoling had held a lot of people, Omashu was, despite its great size, full to bursting with a sea of humanity. Great crowds thronged the streets, with people of every imaginable size, shape, and status. And they were _loud_. What had been a dull murmur in Gaoling was a dull roar here, forcing him to speak louder than he was used to when asking many more questions of Siensao, who answered them with the mixed pride and amusement of someone in their element and was enjoying the chance to show it.

He managed to stop before sounding like a complete idiot, and murmured, "Just get me to where we need to go. I don't know how much of this city I can take before I need to sit down."

She chuckled. "The big city can be overwhelming at first. Take it slow. You'll get used to it."

Too quietly for her to hear over the crowd, he said to himself, "I'm not sure I want to." He turned to Reki, his face set in a stony mask.

"So," he said shortly. "Is this it?"

If anything, she seemed more ill at ease in the city than him, but she could still make him ashamed with a look.

"It seems to be. You are determined to ignore my advice and I see no other reason to associate with you."

Jomei tried one last time to make things a little better. He didn't want it to end like this.

"Look, I...I'll be staying at the...Siensao, where are we staying?"

"The Shitou Zhi Earthbending Academy," the merchant supplied.

"Yeah, I'll be up there if you want to talk, all right? So you know where to find me. Where are you staying?"

Reki shrugged.

"I do not know, but Siensao can easily find out for you. I will not hide, if that is what you are worried about. And unless you have found some compelling reason for me to remain in your company, we have little to discuss. If you believe you have one, I will listen." She put her palms together and bowed.

"My debt is paid, and so I will leave you. May Shenshai judge you favorably, Jomei of Teoro Village."

"I'm sorry, I don't know who that is."

"The spirit of the Si Wong Desert."

"Ah...thanks, then. Same to you."

Reki looked to Siensao and Zoukani.

"I will not say farewell, since I know you will be after me for more lessons," she said. "May our next meeting be as welcome as when first we met."

Siensao bowed and gave the formal reply, "It will be twice as welcome for knowing whom I meet. And I recommend the _Eternal Night_ inn." The place was a dive, but the order maintained a watcher there.

Reki turned and left, not bothering to acknowledge that the merchant knew the correct response to her goodbye. It was yet another thing that showed she knew more than she was telling. _And so my life ends here, in this maze of death and sorrow._

The travelers now reduced to three, they threaded their way through the streets, steps, and bridges of the city. They climbed higher and higher, past narrow side streets and crowded districts that smelled of ruin and despair, past places where shops stood at intervals and the distinctive sharp speech of traders filled the air, past so many things that Jomei stopped paying attention, keeping his eyes on the ground in front of him.

Finally, Siensao announced they had come far enough. Jomei stirred himself to inspect where they were now. It wasn't as high or as far as he'd thought, just on the edge of the district nearest the gates. It was a rich place, decorated with statues and other artworks, with covered walkways to keep off the sun of the rain, and with glowcrystals that would light the way at night. Two buildings stood in front of them, both large enough that they could have been palaces for all he knew.

The name of the one on the left was engraved in stone, the lines of the characters as finely made as if they had been drawn with a brush, and mocking Jomei's own scrapings in the dirt. They read _Shitou Zhi Earthbending Academy_. The door was solid stone, and a striking mural upon it depicted what was most likely an Earth Avatar moving mountains.

The building on the right was different. Despite its size, it seemed open to the surroundings, with wide windows that must have made the place freezing cold at this time of year. They revealed what looked like a place to learn how to fight, with padded mats covering the floor as its only furnishings.

About two dozen people in a _gi_ that must be the uniform of the place were doing stretches to the instruction of an older man, the instructor. Above the door was a sign in dark wood, reading _Stone Soul Martial Arts_. Under the name, in smaller characters was the school's motto. _Know yourself and step back_.

"Your friends sure live good," Jomei muttered, though he was too bewildered by the city to care much. She didn't take offense.

"Not all of us are this well off. And who knows, perhaps someday you'll live as well." Before the Fire Nation, Jomei would have at least given a thought to the idea. Now he knew it would never happen.

Siensao pulled a rope next to the door and Jomei heard a bell ring inside. After a short while, the door slid open to reveal an earthbender in the deep gray robes of a servant. His hair was completely gray as well, and his face was heavily lined with age and memory.

"May I help you?" he asked.

Siensao bowed low. "One who still clings to the ancient ways wishes to speak with Master Dongzhou."

The servant motioned for them to enter. "Please, come in."

The old man led them up a short flight of steps and into a long hallway. It was very plain for the wealth the academy must surely command, showing only bare stone without decoration. Several closed doors lined the left side, but their guide passed all of them without stopping, going to the end of the hall, where it turned left. Halting at the corner, he looked around and stamped a foot. A large portion of the floor in front of them slid smoothly downward in sections, forming a flight of stairs.

Jomei was impressed. _That's the kind of place that can't be found unless you know exactly what you're looking for and can't be opened properly unless you've seen it done_. He and Zoukani followed the servant and Siensao down the short flight into a well-furnished study. The glowcrystals mounted at each corner shone white, making the room comfortably well-lit. A thick carpet also covered the floor, which was unusual for an earthbender. A rack of worn, dusty scrolls and tomes took up one whole side of the room and a Pai Sho board occupied one of the opposite corners. A low wooden desk sat between them both at the far end of the room and behind it sat the person Jomei had come so far to meet.

Dongzhou was not what Jomei usually expected in an earthbender. He was shorter even than Reki and quite ancient in appearance, with thick white hair bound into a topknot and age-spotted hands. Penetrating green eyes appraised the travelers and his clothes were worth more money than Jomei could make in a lifetime of mining.

The servant bowed to the old man and introduced Siensao. "Master, this is a follower of the ancient ways."

The old man nodded without a word and the servant bowed once again and proceeded back up the stairs, bending them into place behind him. Dongzhou got to his feet with some difficulty and bowed to the three visitors, who returned it, Jomei a little more reluctantly than the others.

"So," Dongzhou said. His voice was soft and raspy. "Who knocks at the garden gate?"

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries," Siensao answered.

The old master spared a glance for the two men.

"Your guardsman I know." Zoukani kept his gaze turned downward, seeming embarassed. "I take it the other is the candidate you said you would find?"

"He is. This is Jomei of Teoro Village. He is willing to accompany me on the path to the horizon."

"Is he? And is he trustworthy? He is not, I presume, an initiate."

"Yes, yes, and no, to answer your questions in order. He has no reason to take action against us."

Jomei could no longer contain his irritation at being discussed like a troublesome weed.

"I'm standing right here, you know," he said, talking over Siensao, who had tried to head off his objection. "You want to know something about me, ask _me_."

Dongzhou smiled thinly.

"People are not, as a rule, good judges of themselves. If I wished to know about Siensao, I would ask you or Zoukani. Your spirit is not lacking, but your manners and perception could use some work. Before we begin, then, I a few questions to ask you. Sit."

He returned to his chair. The three visitors took their seats as well. _This guy doesn't give away anything he doesn't have to,_ Jomei thought. _No wonder Siensao went to him about this._

"Can you keep a secret, Jomei?" Dongzhou asked bluntly. Evidently he'd set aside his manners, which the miner approved of. Siensao kept her calm, though she was glad of the new development. Jomei's ignorance let him get away with saying things to Dongzhou she could never say herself and they agreed on important points.

"If I've got good reason to, yes."

"Do you know what we are?"

"You're a group of people with an interest in knowledge and wisdom that try and preserve it. Good luck with that, by the way, I don't think you'll get very far when the Fire Nation stops by to burn the books."

"You and Siensao agree on that point, then. She has been a tireless proponent of involving us in the war." Jomei was surprised to hear that. Though she'd mentioned something like that back in Gaoling, she just didn't seem the type to advocate an all-out war. _I don't know why she didn't tell me. I approve._ "Getting back to the subject at hand, there are those who fear us because of our secrecy and what we know. They would destroy us and all our collected wisdom given the chance. So if we are to allow you to walk the path and reap the benefits of our learning, you must swear to keep the secret of our existence. Do not mistake our neutrality for weakness, we will take action to protect ourselves."

Jomei looked him in the eyes. _But not anyone else, looks like. If I didn't need your help so bad I'd have some words with you, you old fool._

"I swear on the souls of my ancestors not to tell anyone about your organization unless doing otherwise would bring harm to Teoro Village or my friends."

Dongzhou nodded, seeming satisfied.

"Good. You're in, then. Do you have any questions for me before we begin?"

"Yeah. If you know so much, I want to ask a favor of you."

"Ask."

"I want you to find my sister, Jura. We sent her here as a child and never heard back. She was sick all the time. We thought maybe the healers here could help."

"We can certainly look, though it's a big city. Odds are it will take a couple months and you'll be gone by then. Do you still want us to make the effort?"

"Yes."

Dongzhou's expression softened, revealing a little of his great age and weariness.

"Describe her and tell me when she left your village."

Jomei needed only a minute or so to give out the pitifully sparse details of the little girl he'd known fifteen years ago. When he had finished, Dongzhou nodded once.

"If she is found, we'll let you know at once. You owe us nothing for the search. To suggest otherwise is to insult us all, yourself included. Do you have any other questions?"

Jomei shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. He felt close to tears. _Maybe there's still some good in the world after all._

"Then we shall begin." The old master's voice took on the rote quality of a lecture often delivered. "True wisdom is only attainable through experience and exposure to the differences and contradictions of the world and its peoples. The path to the horizon is intended to provide this experience and allow those who walk it to become better, wiser people. There are four circles, but to fully walk them all would take many lifetimes, so do not feel as though you must learn all there is to know. They are, in order, the Four Elements, the Four Nations, Looking Within, and the Spirit World. You are only required to finish the first. A good time to finish is two or three years."

"Years?" Jomei burst out. "I don't have years to waste! I have _one_ year, at _most!_ I'm not going to leave my village to suffer any longer than I have to."

Dongzhou shrugged, undisturbed.

"That is your choice, but I do not approve of needless haste. And don't interrupt me again. Save your complaints until I'm finished."

Jomei relapsed into sullen silence, ignoring Siensao's sharp look.

"To begin," Dongzhou continued, "You'll undergo basic earthbending training here with me for a week or two so that you'll be able to defend yourself on the road. After that, you'll head north to learn about elemental Air."

"I know how to defend myself already," Jomei objected.

"You'll get a chance to prove that, but I doubt it. Do you have any last questions?"

"If we have the time, I want to learn about destiny and how to talk to spirits." _I need to tell granddad to shut up and let me sleep unless he's got something useful to say._

The old master seemed impressed.

"I admit I did not think you the type to care about such things. We can certainly do that. Sleep well tonight. We begin tomorrow."

As the three of them left the academy, Siensao remarked to him, "While I do not mean to offend, it is true that your manners could use refinement if you would like to function better in the city. I would be happy to help."

"Thanks, but I'm not going to be here that long."

Siensao changed subjects, but made a note to return to the first one later.

"I didn't know you had a sister. My sympathies for your loss."

Jomei shrugged.

"Well, you know, it just didn't seem relevant. It's just something I've always thought about but never gotten around to doing anything with. And whether it's an insult or not to mention it, I owe you and your friends big time if they find her."

"I was an only child myself, so I can't really relate, but I don't consider it an insult for someone to want to repay his benefactors. Master Dongzhou is...very traditional, even more so than me."

"Yeah, I noticed. I think you've got the right idea about these people fighting the Fire Nation, by the way. I wish you'd mentioned that earlier."

"It might not happen. I didn't want to give you false hopes."

"It's the only thing that makes me think the city is any good. If you think it's possible, I think it can be made to happen with hard work." He glanced at Zoukani with a grin. "Just one foot in front of the other."

The day wore on, with even the beginnings of winter's chill making little dent in the whirlwind of life that was Omashu. Jomei had no trouble finding a temporary job working the mail system. With so many soldiers off fighting, there was a dearth of earthbenders to operate it.

Siensao found herself sitting in a tea shop once again, speaking to Taisho about how things had changed since she was away. He said nothing specific, for even with her he was careful not to reveal army intelligence, but it was clear what he thought about the state of Omashu and the world.

"We're losing this war," he said in that intense growl. "We're retreating daily. And the thing is, I don't know why! We could have held several of the locations we've been ordered to abandon, easily. But the orders came from King Bumi himself and he's the only man who has kept the south free for so long. Did he pick now to finally go completely insane, or is this another of his plans? It's driving me crazy."

He took a sip of tea, pausing to gather his thoughts. His iron discipline and ingrained sense of duty would not let him second-guess his superiors, but he was suffering terribly.

"If he'd just tell us that there was a plan it would be enough. But the old fool keeps his secrets too well. The only good thing is that any Fire Nation spies must be as confused as we are. Almost none of the retreating battalions have shown up in Omashu and the spirits only know where they have shown up. And the king keeps reassigning more and more companies somewhere else. The Fire Nation is driving a wedge towards this place and we're just letting them do it. The whole city is losing confidence, what's left of it. Over half the population was termed as 'nonessential,' evicted, and split up among the local towns. The only people still in Omashu are either soldiers or those necessary to make war, plus their hangers-on. This place is becoming an armed camp, not a city to be proud of, and one with a skeleton defense, at that. And we all know it. The people are getting close to panic and I'm not sure I blame them."

Siensao frowned, turning over this new information in her mind. It had bad implications for their impending trip northward into Fire Nation territory. If they couldn't even get twenty miles out of Omashu before running into Fire Army forces, it would be close to impossible to get past them. They would be rounded up before you could say 'Earth Kingdom refugees.' The Fire Nation forced any such people they encountered back to whatever village or town they had come from. She needed time to prepare some proper disguises.

Besides that, there was the issue of getting Jomei and Reki through the occupied territories intact. They would stand out a mile away as Earth Kingdom citizens even with different clothes. They needed a native guide. Not that she couldn't buy one, but she couldn't do that without going into Fire Nation lands and she couldn't get them all through Fire Nation lands without one. It was a paradox with no clear answer.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, sympathy plain in her words. "I hope there haven't been many casualties, at least."

Taisho relaxed a little. "They've been light," he confirmed, "and in some places nonexistent. In fact, we've captured a few of theirs. Most of them were tried and executed—we'd exchange prisoners but the Fire Nation just leaves their own men to die rather than return any of ours—but we held onto one. Seems he's some kind of natural with explosives. They've got him locked up in a nice little workshop where he can do his part to defend the Earth Kingdom."

He chuckled, a nasty grin crossing his face at his little joke. "I'd bet he wishes he'd never set foot in this nation."

A new possibility took shape in Siensao's mind, the chance she needed might just be within her reach. Not only that, but it would be an excellent opportunity to find out more about the Fire Nation and another person's story.

She took care to keep her tone casual. "Do you think I could meet him?"

Taisho required less convincing than she had thought. The prisoner was allowed visitors who thought they could get him to say anything about the Fire Nation military. After months of small success, very few people were trying. However, she did have to consent to be searched for weapons. Siensao agreed, of course, and half an hour later, without her sword, staff, traveling pack, the stiletto tucked up her sleeve, and the needle in her hair, she was escorted into the cell.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were made entirely of black iron, and a thick row of bars cut it in half. Siensao's side was empty and she could see several scorch marks decorating the wall. The other side was crammed with all manner of things.

There was a fully equipped workshop, just as Taisho had said, with racks of chemicals, powders, and strange liquids, measuring devices, barrels, iron shells, and things for which she had no name. There was also a cot against one wall. But what drew her attention the most was the chamber's single occupant.

He was a tall, lanky man who seemed to have most of his strength concentrated in his long, thick legs, for his arms were spindly, with long, delicate-looking fingers. He was young, almost too much so to be a soldier and his face was very expressive, with a protruding nose, a scraggly beard that had been allowed to run wild and wide amber eyes. His black hair was tied in the ubiquitous Fire Nation topknot and he wore a dirty gray tunic and pants as well as black, pointy-toed boots. The rest of a Fire Army uniform lay in a heap near the cot.

He looked very tired, for those amber eyes were bloodshot and only half-open, and his expression was haunted. He knew exactly what his life was likely to be like and was not happy about it. _Shame. If he grew the beard out a little more and had something to look forward to I think he'd be rather easy on the eyes_.

He was lounging on a low stool, leaning back against one wall, his hands folded behind his head and his legs crossed in front of him. Seeing Siensao enter, he glanced over briefly, than looked away again. His voice was a rich tenor that perfectly matched the rest of him, for it was laced with fear and a hopeless wish for something better.

"I know it's hard for women to resist me, but I must say, I never thought I'd see one come all the way down here to find me. Sorry, but prisoners aren't allowed that kind of visiting, more's the pity. All I can offer is my scintillating conversation, which by the way, I ought to be charging for. But I always was a sucker for a pretty face. What can I do for you, my lady?"

"I'm here to find out all the secrets of the Fire Army," she replied, deadpan. "Because like everyone else, I'm convinced that a Private 1st Class with almost no combat experience has been entrusted with critical information that no other Earth Kingdom spy would know."

He feigned astonishment, sitting up to look at her more closely.

"An intelligent person from the Earth Kingdom! I was starting to think that was just a rumor being spread to scare us. Such a tragedy that it goes unappreciated, you must know how the Earth Kingdom treats its women much like ostrich-horses. That is to say, mostly used for riding. You are most welcome in my humble abode, my lady, rest assured it is a bastion of Fire Nation culture and that I appreciate good conversation wherever it comes from. This is one of the very few I've had since I came here that didn't begin and end with me. Well, if you're not here to plum the vast depths of my intellect, what are you here for?" His eagerness to talk was almost painful and though he was trying to avoid staring, he was failing badly and not looking too concerned about it.

Siensao smiled, amused.

"I'm here because I seek to learn. I'm a scholar. I collect stories. I'd like to have yours, if you're willing. I'm writing an account of the war. If you'll tell me what it's like as a Fire Nation citizen and soldier, that would be most helpful. You would receive full credit for your contribution. Are you interested the kind of immortality that the written word can offer you, Kyuzo?" _To use a name is to have power. Thank you for that lesson, Reki._

She could tell he was affected by her words. For the first time, he looked at her as something else than just another Earth Kingdom citizen, intelligent or not.

"Might you put a name to such surpassing beauty?" he asked, but his heart wasn't in the flattery anymore.

She bowed politely. "My name is Siensao. If you'd rather I just insult you, I can. But I honestly just came here to learn. If you're as honorable as your nation claims to be, you'll respect that."

He jerked upright as if stung and she knew that had been the right thing to say. Honor was a touchy subject but when used correctly it never failed to get the reaction she wanted. His breezy manner was back.

"Hey, I'm the soul of politeness and respect when speaking to equals. Most Earth Kingdom people don't count. But you, my lady, have shown yourself to be as wise as you are beautiful. I am entirely at your service, and I do mean _entirely_." What would ordinarily have made her roll her eyes was made amusing by his irreverent grin, which made it clear he didn't really mean it.

Siensao kept her satisfaction from showing. _From here on, it's just a matter of time._

"It's too late now to begin, but I'll come again tomorrow."

Kyuzo shrugged. "I'll look forward to it." A twisted little smile crossed his face. "I'm not going anywhere."

The night was upon Omashu and most of the city slept uneasily, knowing how close they were to the war front. Every day they saw the effects of the conflict. Under the cover of darkness, a different side of Omashu emerged. The thieves, criminals, assassins, and other citizens of ill repute began their work. The black market came into operation. Fire Nation spies and Earth Kingdom agents swept into a deadly dance of whispered secrets and knives in the dark. And in the Shitou Zhi Earthbending Academy, Siensao Zhang Ai was awoken by the sound of a bell ringing. It was cut off almost as soon as it began, but it was enough. Somebody was in her room who wasn't supposed to be there and now they would move fast to make sure she didn't yell for help.

Her staff was too long to wield with any effect in the confined space, so she snatched up her sword and rolled to her feet, throwing off the thin blanket. She'd left the skylight open and a shaft of pale starlight dimly illuminated the room, showing her a dark figure charging forward, holding something in both hands. She swept the katana back into where it would usually be and drew the weapon, just as she'd been taught. Her assailant threw both his weapons at her, forcing her to dodge one and bat the other away with the clang of steel on steel, which put her weapon out of the way enough for him to grab her wrists and try and twist. She tucked one knee into her chest and kicked up into his jaw, knocking him back, though she did have to drop her sword. Now they were both weaponless and couldn't spare the time to look for them.

The intruder paused, fully aware that she had had time to call for help by now and unsure why she hadn't. He received his answer a few seconds later as the sleeping sap from the caltrop he'd stepped on took effect and he crumpled over with a thud. Siensao smiled. _They always fall for that one._

After making sure the assailant was really sleeping, the merchant fetched Zoukani to help out. When the man came to, he was securely tied in a chair and stripped of everything but his first layer of clothes. Siensao and Zoukani, fully armed, were sitting across from him. The gathering was inside a small meeting room brightly lit by glowcrystals, letting everyone get a good look at each other. The attacker was a fairly young man, with nondescript features, short black hair, and a wiry build. The only distinguishing feature she could see was a silver earring he'd been wearing.

"You were looking for me, right?" Siensao asked. "You're the last in a long line of failures. Haven't your bosses learned their lesson by now?"

She noticed that he, unlike most men, failed to glance down when speaking to her. _Either he's simply not inclined that way or he's very disciplined indeed. _He shrugged as best he could, a rueful smile on his face.

"A bunch of idiotic old men and women who see flaming ambition in the heart of every farmer and stonemason that belongs to the White Lotus. If they haven't learned by now they're not going to. It's just business, you understand? Nothing personal. Actually, I rather like what you're trying to do, this shaking up of the old world. If the money hadn't been so good, I've have refused the job. You can call me Kei Dao, by the way."

"Are you inclined to switch sides? The Order can pay well for information about who sent you and where they are."

"Well, I'm inclined to live a bit longer, yes, but they're still real professional about hiring people like me. No names, I've never even seen them, I don't know where they are, all payments are made in various kinds of coinage, the works. For some reason they didn't think I'd prove reliable if caught. I can't imagine why."

"Indeed," Siensao said dryly. "Is there anything else you can offer, either money or information?"

"I've been investing my money in a Fire Nation arms factory and bought a nice house in a little town in the east for when I retire," Kei Dao replied. "But there's something else I can offer. You can't afford to attract the slightest hint of suspicion that you're planning on breaking out that Fire Nation prisoner. So let me go and I'll do it for you. I once was hired to kill someone in a high security section of that same prison he's in, so I know the layout."

"And what happens after that? I let you go on your way and you come back later to kill me?"

"No, no, it doesn't work like that. No contracts against someone who saved my life. That's how I operate. I mean, really, Siensao Zhang Ai, even assassins have some standards."

A realization struck the merchant and she smiled, less coldly than before.

"You wanted to fail and for me to catch you," she said. "Because you don't approve of your masters' goals."

Kei Dao pretended wounded innocence very well.

"Did I say that? But supposing that was what I had in mind, it was only because I knew I couldn't succeed where all the others failed. And this way I still get paid half the money for no risk."

"You are very good at looking out for yourself, Kei Dao. It's a shame that you're incapable of true loyalty."

Another attempt at a shrug.

"Ah, well, I'm only human, you know. So can you untie me now? These ropes are making my hands numb."

"One thing first. Swear on the soul of Min Liu to do as you have said."

At last the assassin's ever-present grin slipped. He took on the trapped look of a cornered animal, his smile becoming desperate.

"Ah, how did you find out about that? It's really not the kind of thing I'd prefer to have spread around."

"And it won't be, provided you do as I say," Siensao said sweetly.

Kei Dao's nervous laughter was grating on the ears.

"Well, really, you don't leave me much choice, do you?"

"I've had excellent instruction."


	8. Bitterness of Hope

**A/N:** Sorry for the long delay, but I have a surprise for you. I've got a double feature. This chapter turned out to be quite long, so I split it into two parts, both of which are going up at the same time. Much thanks to PetertheChameleon and Sylvacoer for their editing work and as always, I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me know your thoughts. I can't get better without input. I've already started on the next chapter, which will finish off the Omashu Arc. We'll be going places very soon. Enjoy the show.

* * *

_Jomei dreamt, as he often did, of ash-black, fiery red, and gold like the sunrise. The colors of the Fire Nation. This time he stood upon a castle wall, looking out on a gigantic world, a village ten times as big as it should be. The fortress was crude, like a child's blocks. Then he knew where he was-he was standing on one of the castles he'd built as a child, crudely earthbending stone blocks and stacking them together. Only this one, now that he glanced back at it, looked like Omashu._

_"It might as well be," his grandfather said. Jomei turned to see the older man leaning on the parapet, Jomei's warhammer on his back. "Omashu will fall, so don't concern yourself about it."_

_"What is it now?" Jomei demanded. "I did what you said, I'm taking Siensao's offer. I thought that's what you wanted. I'm sick of seeing your face and hearing your stupid lectures about destiny and fate and how I should take your advice for reasons I won't understand until it makes something happen, which may or may not be something I want to happen! Either give me an explanation, or get out of my life!"_

_Hanhei glared back at him._

_"Don't get uppity with me, boy, not when I'm the one who's guarding you against ill fortune. And I can't explain fully. You have to be dead to even begin to understand destiny's workings and I assume you'd prefer to stay alive. Accepting Siensao's offer was only the beginning of what has to be done."_

_"Why does anything have to be done? What's the end goal here? When will you be satisfied and leave me alone?"_

_"The end goal, Jomei, is to keep you alive so you can free Teoro, and your chances of doing so are much better if you follow my advice."_

_"Then explain to me why your advice will keep me alive and I'll listen."_

_"Ever hear of 'need-to-know,' boy? It's a thing we have in the military. It means you don't need to know, so I can't tell you, which is convenient, because I don't want to tell you. I'm bound by certain rules, even in the Spirit World. I can't lay it all out for you. So stop bugging me about it!"_

_"And you couldn't tell me about these rules earlier?" Jomei crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "I guess that finally confirms what I've thought all along. You're just screwing with me because you can, and I've got no use for someone like that. If you're not going to tell me what will happen because of your meddling, then just get on with your next life as a skunk-rabbit! I'll find my own path."_

_Hanhei took a few steps closer, his expression turning cold and grim. Despite his bold words, Jomei felt a chill._

_"I've had a lot of practice dealing with stupid children who think they know everything. I will help you whether you want it or not. If you trust me on nothing else, trust me on that."_

_"Is that a threat?" Jomei sneered. "I suppose I shouldn't expect anything more from you."_

_Hanhei shrugged._

_"I don't know. Does it have to be?"_

_"And here I thought you wanted to keep me alive so you could keep me jumping around on your say-so. Well, you can't have it both ways, so which is it? If there's no escaping from destiny, what do I need your help for anyway?"_

_The spirit's smile was very unpleasant._

_"As you ought to know, you'd be surprised what you can live through. What I said, and what you've conveniently forgotten, is there's no escaping from destiny _unless_ you accept my help. Your destiny is a bad one without me, you understand that? Your happiness and life hinge on my goodwill, whether you know it or not. I'll thank you to think about what you say before you speak on occasion."_

_"So you admit you misled me? Or are you misleading me now? Damn you, can't you talk straight for once? What kind of spirit are you?"_

_"The dangerous kind," Hanhei replied. "Dangerous to who depends on if you'll listen to my advice."_

_"I should hire an exorcist to get rid of you," Jomei muttered. "I'm sure whatever you're guiding me towards, it's not for my benefit. So what are your orders this time, 'General'?"_

_"First, get rid of that desert woman. She's bad company, as she's told you often enough. And Siensao is planning to free a Fire Nation soldier. You're going to go along with that and not kill him when he travels with you."_

_"Not on this earth!" Jomei snarled._

_Hanhei scowled darkly._

_"Give it some thought. When you wake up, you'll find a reminder of what I've said. Consider it when you make your choice."_

_Jomei's voice was disgusted._

_"I'm starting to think you're not my grandad at all. Maybe you're some evil spirit trying to trick me."_

_"I don't care what you think of me or what you think I am as long as you do what I say. You'll thank me for this one day." As the world blurred, Jomei noticed Hanhei holding a knife to the back of his right hand._

When Jomei awoke, he found the character for 'caution' very lightly cut into the back of _his_ right hand. He froze, staring at the scratches with a horrified fascination; in stories, spirits were supposed to mark people with curses like this. Then, with a surge of anger, he broke free of the paralysis and scrambled out of bed, breathing hard.

"It's not going to work, old man!" he shouted at the ceiling. "You think I'm scared of you? I'm coming for you, you bastard!" Silence was his answer. _That's it_, he thought. _I'm holding that seance today and if it doesn't work, I'm finding an exorcist right afterwards. Honorable ancestor or not, he's gone._

The Shitou Zhi Earthbending Academy, like the Earth Rumble arena, was built to impress, and even after a week, Jomei still marveled at it. Unlike the massive cavern of the tournament, though, it achieved this not through overwhelming size and scale, but through infinitely refined detail.

As he entered the training room, carrying his hammer over his shoulder, he glanced around yet again, taking in the incredible craftsmanship. He removed his hat to get a better look. The mines of Teoro were child's play compared to this. The place was medium-sized as far as earthbending practice went, sixty paces long, forty wide, with the glowcrystal-studded ceiling high overhead. Aside from a few benches and the small air vents on the walls, every surface was smooth, dark grey stone with veins of black running through the face here and there. There were no lines to indicate paving stones and all the sharp corners and edges had been rounded. The stone gleamed with attention, showing a shadowy reflection of Jomei as he glanced down at the floor. It was enough to make him feel bad for bending at all, but every morning it had been restored to the condition it was in now by the labors of many novice students as both punishment and practice. It was cool, almost cold, and meltwater from the recent snow flurries dripped from the air vents.

His instructors were already present, waiting for him. Dongzhou was seated on a cushion next to one of the walls, Zoukani was reclining on a low bench, his fur cap over his eyes, and one of the old master's best students, Zhu Sha, was warming up with some stance work and stretches. The other student was a little older than Jomei, with long brown hair and an easy manner. Sometimes Jomei wondered if the two older men ever slept. Or, in Zoukani's case, ever lost at games of chance.

Dongzhou inclined his head in greeting. Zhu Sha bowed formally. Zoukani offered a casual wave. Jomei bowed to all of them.

"Good morning," the old master said. "Today I think we'll work on the _stone armor_ form and mixed combat, perhaps the _sand to stone_ form if we have time."

"Today we also need to hold that seance," Jomei said, striding forward. He thrust out his hand, showing off the cuts. Dongzhou squinted at the marks and frowned.

"This is the work of your ancestor?"

"Yeah."

The old master nodded.

"Very well. Zhu Sha, send a message to Xunjiu Lu and have him come in today instead of tomorrow. And until he arrives, we will practice as I have said."

The senior student nodded, got to his feet, and left.

Jomei took his warhammer off his shoulder and grasped it with both hands. Zoukani sat up and pushed his cap back into its proper place. As simple as that, the lesson began.

"_Stone armor_," Dongzhou said quietly, as if making a suggestion. He had the gift of commanding obedience with a few words and a certain look.

Jomei let go of the hammer with one hand, dropped into a horse stance, and made a pulling motion that ended with both forearms held straight up in front of him. Pieces of stone ripped free of the floor and flew towards him. When they hit, they stuck, forming a set of impenetrable armor...or at least that was the idea. In practice, Jomei's armor was jagged and uneven, did not cover every part of his body, and when he moved, pieces fell off as he lost concentration. Zoukani tried unsuccessfully to hide his snickering behind a hand.

Dongzhou sighed.

"I think it's time a lesson about control. I had hoped you would figure it out on your own and perhaps given more time you would have, but since you are so insistent on leaving in a few days' time, I will tell you myself. This is one of the great principles of earthbending, the many ways of listening to the earth."

Jomei didn't ask why he hadn't told him earlier. It was the same reason Dongzhou wasn't teaching him any formal earthbending sets and had him practicing in a place that could be shaped to look like any kind of battlefield the man wanted. _Experience is the best teacher._ Unbidden, he thought back to the travesty that had been his test of self-defense.

"Your problem," Dongzhou continued in the droning, lecturing voice that Jomei hated, bringing his attention back to the present, "like that of so many other earthbenders, is that you have no concept of _degrees_ of control over earth. For you it's either all or nothing, absolute control or none at all. Your blows are always full force, struck to kill. When you move a rock, you are completely aware of that rock. You can bend it in any way. But if you were to concentrate _only_ on lifting the rock, without being aware of everything else you _could_ do, just focusing on the needs of the moment, you will find you are capable of much more within that narrow focus. Try stone armor again. And this time, focus only on shaping the stone and moving it to where it needs to be. You've done it very well at slow speeds. You know the shape of your own body and how the armor is constructed. Now apply that and only that."

Understanding, as it often did, hit Jomei like a boulder to the head. _That's it! Bones of the earth spirits, he's right! Why on earth didn't I think of that myself?_ The answer was depressingly simple. _Because it just didn't occur to me that there was anything else than total control so I didn't bother looking for it. Spirits...I'm even more stupid than I thought._

Jomei let his pitiful attempt at armor fall apart completely, dust and rubble scattering across the floor. Moving back into horse stance, he stretched out with his mind to try again. This time, though, he was _aware_ of what he was doing as he was doing it and what he found startled him. He _couldn't_ let go like he needed to. Every instinct screamed at him that he _needed_ to keep an iron grip on the stone, whatever it cost. And the more he tried to relax his hold, the more his own mind seemed to resist, clamping down tighter.

"I...I can't," he said, ashamed.

Dongzhou didn't seem upset. In fact, an amused glitter came into his eyes.

"Of course not. You didn't think such a powerful spiritual issue could be resolved so quickly, did you? It will require time, effort, and patience. I'll give you a scroll of some meditations to help you center yourself, but as long as you're here, I can help you learn how to do them. We'll begin now."

Jomei held back a sigh.

"Yes, Master."

Zoukani offered him an encouraging grin and Jomei felt a little better. Taking a deep breath, he went back to work.

"You insist on rejecting your nature as a warrior, in its essence. Why?" Reki asked her student.

Siensao had to think before answering. Not just because it was a difficult question, which it was, but because she was in the midst of performing one of the Whispering Wind forms on the top of a small forest of thin wooden poles, balancing on toes and heels. Reki believed in multitasking. The tribeswoman was up there with her, performing the same sword form. Reki also believed in leading by example.

"From what you've taught me, a warrior is honorable in their actions," she replied. "But honor won't save the Earth Kingdom, or keep me in funds, or free Ba Sing Se. There's a saying: 'Honor is a thin cloak against the chill of the grave.' If I remain willfully blind to knives in the dark, one of them will find my back."

"Like most people, you confuse honor with stupidity," Reki said, her contempt plain to hear. "While the two do overlap far too often, they are not the same thing. A warrior may be honorable while still taking precautions against those who are not, and in war, stealth and misdirection are permitted. If a warrior is defeated by such tactics, they simply paid the price for their lack of perception. That is not the correct answer. Why do you fear your nature, Siensao Zhang Ai?"

Siensao almost missed a step and fell ten feet to the padded floor below.

"Who and what you've said a warrior is doesn't seem to have a place in the kind of war I fight. I may be required to lie, cheat, steal, manipulate people, or even kill to get what I want, and all of it is best done in secret and kept that way from the world. That doesn't sound like what a warrior does."

"You think a warrior may not be required to kill on occasion?" Reki asked. Before Siensao could answer, she continued, "I know what you meant and again, you are mostly mistaken. A warrior must be able to know their enemy and be able to manipulate them into making mistakes. If something valuable rests in their enemy's hands, they must be willing to take it from that enemy. Doing these things in secret is merely good sense, only a fool allows the enemy to know your movements." Pausing, she took on an expression of distaste, as though she had been served sour wine.

"Lying and cheating...those are not honorable, but their usefulness cannot be disregarded. Sometimes, in the desert, a warrior is called upon to do these things, with the understanding that by doing so, they will save lives. Above all else, that is the warrior's duty, and in the end, duty is more important than honor. Honor can be regained, but if you fail in your duty, it can rarely be set right. All that being said, the warrior's path is not meant to be easy and you could accomplish many of your goals without resorting to such methods." Though she was facing away from her pupil, a grim smile flickered over Reki's face. "What was that you said to me? Oh, yes. 'There is only one reason anyone does anything. They may believe otherwise, but there is always one motivation that outweighs all others.' You are still not telling me the reason beneath all these _excuses_. Why do you fear who you are, Siensao Zhang Ai?"

The merchant performed the final move of the set and carefully turned to face her teacher. Even as she was mentally on the back foot in their discussion, she admired the deft way in which her own words had been turned against her. Reki was an honorable warrior and yet... _She knows my methods are sometimes necessary and she's still willing to teach me, knowing I use them. I owe her the truth_.

"I don't want to be like you were," she said quietly. "It's hard enough keeping myself from becoming like those in Ba Sing Se in my little war and I have firsthand experience of that. I believe you when you say I could be just as good at open war and to be honest, it scares me." Siensao paused, trying to read Reki and failing. "I'm sorry if that offends you, but it's what you wanted to hear."

Reki was silent a moment. Then she nodded once.

"Good. You show some wisdom at last. But you cannot run or hide from who you are. What you speak of is something every warrior must guard against. You are not unique in that respect. That is why, when we are taught the Five Sword Dances, we are also taught the Stillness. Perhaps it is time we began those lessons for you."

Something in the way Reki said that word made Siensao shiver.

"What do you mean? I've heard that term before, but I don't know what it means."

"The Five Sword Dances are both a physical and mental discipline. While the forms and styles themselves are slanted towards the physical, the Stillness is slanted towards the mental. It is a form of meditation that enforces absolute focus and discipline on the warrior's mind. Those who master it are said to become death, if briefly." She hesitated for an instant, then continued, "Mental discipline is something everyone could use more of. Especially you, Jomei."

The two women turned around. The miner was leaning against the frame of the door to the training grounds, his clothes and hair soaked with sweat from his exertions and a sullen look on his face. He'd missed them sparring with each other yet again. _I shouldn't bother coming here, _he thought, not for the first time. _I'm never going to think of any reason to get her to stay. All I can do is make a fool of myself trying._ But he did anyway.

"Yeah," he said shortly. "Probably. Come on, you know why I'm here. It won't take a minute."

Reki leapt down from the poles, landing in a crouch.

"I do. And it won't." She looked over at Siensao, who had climbed down after her. "We are done for the day. Your progress is acceptable." The other woman bowed, then turned to Jomei.

"I got that message you sent about not being able to make today's lesson," she said. As her part of the initial instruction of the path, she'd been required to study and practice a tradecraft and in a gesture that meant more than she knew, she'd picked mining. Jomei didn't think he was a good teacher, but it helped lessen his unease in the city to be able to talk about (what were to him) ordinary matters again. "I completely understand. But I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Sure," Jomei said, still in no mood to chat. Siensao picked up on his reluctance and bowed herself out. Jomei's gaze followed her for a brief moment, somewhat involuntarily due to her state of dress. Reki noticed, of course, but said nothing on the matter. She knew he would only act thick if she pointed it out, and besides, it cut into her drinking time.

The two of them walked over to the earthbending side of the room, just big enough for two earthbenders to spar. Reki brought up her wooden sword. Jomei raised his hammer. For a short while, the two faced off. Then the fight was on.

Reki was in motion as soon as Jomei assumed his first stance, sprinting forward and closing the distance between them much too fast for comfort. He had time for only one move and he performed the stone armor form, just as he'd practiced for the last few hours. The slabs of rock slammed into place and he raised his hammer to attack. Reki went for his eyes, of course, forcing him to duck. He swung his hammer in a blow that could crack a cliffside in half, but she was never there and then she'd taken advantage of his restricted vision to dance around behind him. He spun, frantically searching for a target, and at the instant his form unbalanced, she hooked a leg behind his and shoved, hard. His spin turned into a stumbling fall and he hit the floor with a thunderous crash, face-up. He tried to raise an arm to protect his weak point, but even with rage and fear fueling his movements, he wasn't fast enough. The point of a wooden sword hit him between the eyes.

"You are dead," Reki said, lightly jabbing him once more. "Again."

Jomei's vision cleared and he saw a familiar sight-Reki standing over him, victorious, one foot on his armored chest. For a moment, he just lay there, eyes locked with hers. She was, naturally, scowling fiercely. It was infuriating, but Jomei's respect for the swordswoman was all the greater. _How can someone fight like this and not want to live? Every time we fight she makes me feel more a fool. Why can't she see it?_

For her part, Reki was wondering much the same thing. _He keeps getting knocked down over and over again and persists in his belief that good things can happen if you just try hard enough. Every time we fight he makes me feel like a failure as a teacher. Why can't he see it?_

Then the moment was gone.

"You still refuse to recognize when you are beaten," she said. "It is not too late to join the army."

"I swore an oath," Jomei said. "You know that. And I keep my promises." He batted the sword away with one hand and stood up, letting his armor fall off. "I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, I think," he said. "It's not too late to come with me."

"I told you before, when you can find a compelling reason, I will. And I still see none."

Jomei recalled a cold autumn night behind iron bars, back in the mountains.

"And what would your brother think about all this?" he asked. "Would he want you to die?"

"Yes," Reki said flatly.

That one word stopped Jomei in his tracks. He tried and failed to imagine what kind of person didn't even have one relative or friend that would want them to live. _I mean, sure, the people of Teoro despised me, but even they didn't want me dead. I don't know what I'd do if they did._

In the silence, Reki's voice sounded louder than usual.

"It happened so quietly that I never noticed," she said. "I could not be distracted from whatever task was at hand. If you continue down the path you have chosen, I fear that the same thing will happen to you. At some point, you will stop and think. And then you will realize...you are just like me. And it will break your mind."

Jomei was deeply shaken, but there was one pillar of belief that remained strong, and his answer was equally sure.

"Then I need your help even more," he said. "You can stop me from making the same mistakes you did. If that's what you think, then it's your responsibility to stop me as much as it's my own to look out for myself, which I'm trying my best to do. How's that for a compelling reason?"

"You have no right to ask this of me," Reki growled.

"That's what you said when we got here," Jomei answered. "But this time I'm not asking, I'm just pointed out that you could prevent what you said would happen. If you don't want to, that's your decision and I'll go along with it. But somehow I don't think you do. Because no matter what you say, you're a good person."

Reki shrugged.

"It is only what might happen if you survived," she said. "Most likely you will simply die somewhere along the way. You overestimate your own importance. I see no reason why I should make the effort. And stop telling me that. Saying something does not make it true." She sighed. "Jomei, you still have not asked about my past. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that. But now that we are about to part company...honor demands that I end this farce."

Jomei looked afraid.

"I'd really rather you didn't," he murmured. "I've...kind of liked things the way they are. I don't want to know. Can't you just let it go?"

Reki shook her head.

"Honesty is important," she said.

"Even when it hurts," Jomei finished the phrase, one they both swore by. "I know. I'm sorry it had to come to this...this is so messed up."

"Such," Reki said gloomily, "is life. And for what it is worth, I am sorry as well." She had just opened her mouth to speak again when a familiar and hated voice cut in.

"Ah, true love is so touching, isn't it?"

Kei Dao had just walked in, followed by Zoukani.

"If my associates could see this they'd be rolling on the floor laughing," he continued, ignoring the dark looks he was getting. "The infamous-"

"Finish that sentence and you are a dead man," Reki stated flatly, hooking a foot under her practice sword and kicking it back up into her hand.

Kei Dao promptly shut up, but his mocking smile remained. Reki had recognized his kind since they met a week ago. _Everything is a game to him. I think I will have to kill him anyway, sooner or later._

"I guess I ought to go," Jomei muttered. Whatever insanity had given him the words he'd been searching for, it was gone now and he felt very foolish. _What was I thinking? She's just too messed up in the head, even more than me. Maybe she's some different kind of mad. I just don't know anymore. _"See you tomorrow."

"May our next meeting be as welcome as when first we met," Reki replied in a rote voice. To Kei Dao, she said, "May the fleas of a thousand camelephants nest in your armpits and may your arms be too short to scratch." Then she left, leaving the three men alone. Zoukani was smiling.

Oddly enough, so was Kei Dao.

"I love a woman with a sense of humor," he said.

Jomei gave him a dark look.

"Shut up, assassin," he said. "And don't even think about it."

"Technically, since you won't be joining the army, if you kill anyone, wouldn't that make you a murderer?" Kei Dao pointed out mildly. "Personally I think that's a bit unfair, of course. If you kill someone as a soldier in a war, it's okay, but if you kill someone as a civilian in a war, you're a dangerous vigilante. That never made sense to me. And personally, I think somebody who kills for money, such as myself, is far more relaxing to be around. A person who kills for an ideal, now that is a tricky business, and makes them far more unpredictable and dangerous to have around. If anything, I should be nervous about you, rather than you about me."

"Is there some particular reason you need to be here, or are you just trying to annoy me?"

"Both, because the latter is just so easy and entertaining," Kei Dao answered cheerfully. "Myself and my colleague here just finished another fine day of reconnaissance work. Your friend makes an excellent counterpoint to my queries. The strong silent type, eh? Think maybe he tried to 'speak now' at a wedding and someone decided he should 'forever hold his peace' instead? Or maybe he didn't take his mother's advice about sticking his tongue to metal in the winter."

Zoukani, of course, didn't say anything, but a deep frown creased his face.

"Get to the point and don't joke about something like that."

Kei Dao grinned maliciously.

"But that's when it's the most fun. Anyway, we've located what we believe to be the headquarters of the people who sent me after your merchant friend and we need to talk to her about it. We were told she was practicing up here."

"She finished up a few minutes ago, she's probably on her way to that prison," Jomei said flatly. "If you hurry, you might catch her."

Kei Dao shrugged.

"Oh, I'm in no hurry."

"Well I am, I have to attend a seance," Jomei retorted, and left without waiting for an answer. Kei Dao sighed.

"You know, I really should tell him who he's cozying up to."

Zoukani gave him a sharp look.

"I take offense at that suggestion," Kei Dao admonished him. "You're worse than him, if it comes to it, you know who you're serving. For that matter, she knows who you are and she still treats you as she does. I can't understand what you see in that woman. So much courtesy, so little of it genuine. The same as her father. I wonder how he's doing, I haven't seen him in ages. Does she ever talk about him?"

Zoukani shook his head, pointed at Kei Dao, and touched a finger to his lips. The assassin smiled indulgently.

"You don't want to hear about the Zhang Ai family's charming history. Very well. But only because of that threat she's holding over my head. As soon as I've seen to that, you can expect to hear from me again." For a moment, his smile turned malicious and cruel. "I don't appreciate threats. Not one bit. And she knows that. I also enjoy a challenge. And she has given me a very interesting challenge indeed."

_In the later years of Fire Lord Azulon's reign, _Siensao wrote carefully, _even after generations of war, a surprising amount of public education, the effects of which have been noted previously, was focused around classical Fire Nation culture and history. As my primary source tells me, he can describe the basic facts of famous theatrical productions, he is literate in traditional Fire Nation characters, if unable to speak the language or any of its dialects, and can recite the names and major achievements of several previous Fire Lords, among other things. While there was a strong emphasis on military matters and the nation's long history of conflict, a certain amount of cultural education remained present and highly visible in many public venues._

She paused and read over her writing once more, then nodded in approval, setting the sheet of paper aside to dry and picking up another.

"So," she said to Kyuzo, who was busy with his explosives, "how did this change, exactly?"

"Well, ever since Fire Lord Ozai took over when Azulon died, there've been a lot of changes. The state officials started saying things like 'final effort,' and 'the necessity of total war to break the last strongholds of resistance,' and other junk like that, which meant that they started cutting out any lessons not related to war and lowering the age of recruitment for factory workers and the conscription age for soldiers, letting more women join the Home Guard and sometimes even fight on the front lines, things like that. My kid brother, you know, he told me one time how he felt like he was in military training already, that's pretty much all they teach now. History, tactics, strategy, and such. They stopped showing plays and started discouraging dances in my town. Nobody liked it, but we'd been hearing nothing but good news from the war front, so it was kind of hard to complain. My other brother, you know, and a lot of my friends, they sent us letters when they could, telling us all about how they were ripping up Earth Kingdom battalions right and left."

As he spoke, Siensao was writing again, her calligraphy brush moving fast.

_However, after Fire Lord Ozai assumed the throne, he initiated a massive reform of all aspects of government, moving the nation towards becoming a total military state, where every citizen's greatest duty was to fuel the war effort, in life or death. Any other form of cultural education was deemed irrelevant and abandoned._

She set down her brush and rubbed her eyes. The glowcrystal light wasn't the best kind to write under. But the midday shift change should be here soon, which was normally her cue to leave.

"I really must thank you once again for providing me with all this information," she said. "It has been most helpful in my work." _Who knew a common soldier would be so well-informed on custom and etiquette?_ She raised a speculative eyebrow at Kyuzo, as though assessing the weave of a bolt of cloth. _I might be able to bluff my way through most things I run into in the colonies, but someone like you... I can use you_.

Kyuzo shrugged.

"Ah, no problem, it's just been nice to have someone el- to talk to down here. You do know, of course, the only reason they stuck me down here was to keep away my horde of female admirers. It's only to be expected, since I am the only Fire Nation man within a hundred miles of here."

Siensao hadn't missed his slip-up, but evidently the guards had, since they didn't react. _So, someone else has been visiting. Who could that be?_

"I'm afraid our time here may be drawing to a close," she said. "So, setting aside my research, I did have one question I wished to ask, just to satisfy my own curiosity. If you don't mind."

"It's true! I was there! I saw it happen!"

"You make all these explosives to compensate for something?" she replied without missing a beat, and Kyuzo groaned.

"Okay, I walked into that one," he admitted. "And in the Fire Nation, it's well known that it's not how big the fire is, it's how hot it burns."

"Very nice, that was a good one," Siensao noted amusedly, though inwardly she was quite weary of Kyuzo's favorite subject of banter. _It's a defense against his captors, I'm sure, since he's considerably more articulate and refined when discussing his nation's merits, but it gets annoying very fast. I pity the guards who have to listen to him._

"Thanks. Anyway, what was your question?"

"About the Fire Lord-do you think he's a good leader? All I have to go on over here is rumors. And about the war-do you support it?"

Kyuzo stopped his work and turned around, looking taken aback.

"What? Why wouldn't I think that? Fire Lord Ozai is a _great_ leader. Sure, nobody's perfect, but he comes pretty damn close. Let's see: he's about to make our nation the rightful rulers of this world, he's made us richer and more productive then we've ever been, he's got the nobility squarely under his thumb where they won't cause any trouble for the rest of us, and he never hesitates in dealing with his enemies in such a way that he doesn't have to do it twice. Take your pick, I've got more."

"I'm not questioning his ability to rule and lead a nation at war. But suppose you win the war, the whole world is Fire Nation, you've achieved the dream of Fire Lord Sozin...what happens then? Your entire economy is based around warfare and so is your education, your work force, and so on. And what of the Earth Kingdom colonies? What if they decide they dislike Ozai's rule and stage a rebellion with all of your technology and strategies, with the support of any Earth Kingdom resistance that remains? Can Ozai make the transition back to a peacetime nation and can he handle ruling one? That's what I'm asking."

Kyuzo shook his head slowly.

"Well...I've never really thought about it and...I mean, I've never met him, I'm just a low-ranking demolitions man, so I don't know him well enough to answer, I guess. But he's got kids, they're young enough to get the hang of new things. Even if he's not so good at peacetime stuff, I'll bet they can be. Or maybe his brother, General Iroh, could help out." He nodded, his confidence back. "Trust in the Fire Nation, Siensao, we know what we're doing and we'll fight our way past any challenge. That's who we are. As for your second question, that was never my decision to make and never will be, so I'm not going to waste time worrying about it. I've got to look out for myself as best I can, that's all. Do my part for the nation and all that, even though it deprives the homeland women of all hope until I return."

"You came very close to dying for your nation," she noted. "What do you think about how the Fire Nation's lack of interest in prisoner exchanges?"

Kyuzo frowned and turned back to his work table.

"I just told you, stuff like that isn't my choice to make, so it's no good worrying or complaining about it. Besides, that'd be dishonorable, to have to be rescued like that."

_But you do worry about it. It gnaws at you, the fact that you could be safe right now if it weren't for the Fire Lord's policy on prisoner exchanges. And while you are honorable, I've seen that much, you're not stupid, just cowardly._

"Well, those were my questions, and you have answered them quite thoroughly. I still have doubts about the Fire Lord's ability to rule."

Kyuzo shrugged, having regained his good humor. "You can't argue with results, though. He must be doing something right, the way I've heard the war is going. If you'd like to swear loyalty to the Fire Nation, I'll give you a stirring recommendation. They'd love to have you as a quartermaster." He chuckled. "I'd pay money to see a bidding war between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom for your services."

Siensao took the compliment with an appreciative nod. "I appreciate the offer, but I like to travel." She glanced at the timekeeping candle. "Now then, I do normally leave at this time, but since I am leaving soon, it seems unfair to give you nothing in exchange for all your help. I've asked plenty of questions of you. Do you have any questions for me? News of the outside world you'd like to hear? I'll answer what I can."

She heard the footsteps of the shift change coming down the hallway and Kyuzo seemed to become a little agitated. He covered it well, though.

"Honestly...I don't know where to begin, I have so many. Maybe if you came back later I could sort them out and have a few ready."

Siensao kept a smile from her face. _His other visitor, perhaps?_

"I have nowhere else to go today," she said. "And it's no trouble at all, I assure you. You must be curious about what's going on, I mean, you've been here for what, five months now? We can talk of other subjects until you feel ready." She could definitely hear the strain in his answer.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I'd rather be alone now, at least as much as I can be with these two hog-monkeys looming over my shoulder. I think better that way."

"Well, if that's what you really want," she said, and took her time packing away her writing materials. Then when she was almost finished, she deliberately spilled the neat stack of papers she'd been accumulating and the fluttered about, scattered all across the floor. She sighed.

"I'm very sorry about that, here, I'll get them cleaned up as fast as I can." But before she'd even gotten half of them back, it was too late.

The cell door swung open and the two guards, after exchanging salutes and formalities, gave up their places to the newly arrived pair. Siensao looked them over while bowing low.

One was a younger man, maybe twenty-five or so, with immense bushy eyebrows and a short beard, and his bearing was that of a typical bored guard. The merchant knew that attitude very well. Unlike Zoukani, he didn't have the air of being as comfortable in his armor as a commoner would in normal clothes. One personal touch was a pair of boots that didn't match the rest of the uniform. His rank insignia proclaimed him to be a corporal. The other was either a scrawny man with a problem growing a beard or a young woman trying to hide her gender. Based on a multitude of tiny details such as body language, facial structure, and gait, Siensao decided it was the latter. She reminded the merchant of Jomei in that she had the same brown eyes that looked permanently narrowed and gaunt features, even more so than the miner's.

The most noticeable modification to her uniform was a pair of heavy brass bracelets she was wearing in place of gauntlets. And one thing that most people wouldn't have noticed was that she didn't carry herself like a soldier. The resemblance was good, but not good enough to merit the Private 2nd Class insignia she was wearing. One foot hit the floor with a different sound and slightly more force than the other; either it was artificial or the woman was smuggling something. Either way, this deserved investigation. A very careful one. She finished gathering up the papers and made as if to leave. But as she shut the cell door, she dropped the bar which served as the last-ditch measure in case Kyuzo should try to break out. The noise alerted both guards, who turned around, startled. Before they could say anything, Siensao spoke to them through the small viewing slot.

"Excuse me," she said to the other woman politely, "but are you certain you should be in here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was given to understand only Earth Army soldiers or those with an official pass are permitted in here, and I don't believe you're either one." In an instant, the air became thick with the promise of violence and both parties stared at each other. Conspirators rarely took kindly to having their charade exposed. _Go ahead. You won't be killing anyone from in there._

The woman's eyes narrowed, but she was determined to play her role to the hilt.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm Private 2nd Class Jin Guo and I'm on guard duty here, now lift that bar this instant." Her voice was deep and thoughtful, low enough that Siensao could believe she'd fooled people before, but since Siensao had disguised her own voice on several occasions (and done a better job of it, in her humble estimation), she wasn't fooled in the least.

"Then you won't mind if I confirm that fact with your superior before I leave. A woman serving in the Earth Army is most unusual."

"No, please don't!" the man burst out, his nerve breaking. "They'll execute us both!" He turned on his fellow conspirator. "This is all your fault! I never should have listened to you! You've killed us both!"

"Shut up, you!" the woman snarled at him. "I know it was my idea and I'll take the fall for it, now stop whining!" Turning to Siensao, she said, in a somewhat calmer voice, "What do you want to keep quiet? You want something, or else you'd have reported us by now. Money? Information? A favor? What? Anything you want, you'll get."

Siensao's answer was quiet and polite, but firm.

"What I would _like_ is a favor, to be repaid at a date in the near future. Also, I would like to know who you are, why you're here, and how you've been managing it for as long as you have."

"The favor you can have, but the rest is private. That's the best you'll get."

Siensao was mildly surprised to see that she meant it and would probably resort to desperate measures if Siensao tried to back her further into the corner. It did not, however, require an exceptionally strong imagination to figure out what she was hiding.

"Let me guess," she said. "Forbidden love in the spirit of Oma and Shu. You're hardly the first people to fall victim to that."

The other woman didn't react, but Kyuzo, looking at the proceedings from behind the bars, turned red and Siensao knew she had hit the mark. Seeing the merchant's gaze shift, the false soldier followed it and became furious at what she saw.

"You idiot! You've just given everything away!"

"You can't do this to me!" the soldier protested to Siensao, having regained his voice. "You're not that heartless!"

The woman made a disgusted sound and took a few steps away from him, giving him a look of such scorn that he fell silent, shamefaced. She let the silence drag on just long enough to make her point.

"And we wonder why the Earth Kingdom is losing this war. You can stand in the corner until we're finished talking if you're not going to do anything helpful." She turned back to Siensao. "Yes, we love each other. Happy? Do a victory dance, why don't you? You've caught someone consorting with the enemy. They'll give you a front-row seat at my execution."

"If you hurt her, you'll never get any more bombs out of me," Kyuzo warned, his voice shrill and shaking. "I'll blow this whole prison and everyone in it to pieces."

Siensao held up a hand.

"Please, everyone, calm down and take a deep breath. I have no intention of turning you in. In fact, we might be able to be of use to each other. Oh, and what's your real name? Or would you prefer to be called Jin Guo?"

The woman moved close enough to the door that only a couple paces separated them.

"My name's Jura," she said, scowling. "And don't bother trying to find me, it's a common name and you'll get nothing else about me." The family resemblance was striking.

"Of Teoro Village." Siensao said with a confidence she didn't entirely feel. "In the Dian Wei Mountains to the south. I met your brother, Jomei, on my way through the pass. He spoke fondly of you."

Jura's face had turned white at the recitation.

"He's alive?" she whispered. Then, snapping back to reality, her questions started coming faster and more urgent. "How long ago was this? Who else was there? Was he doing all right? Do you mean that he escaped? Answer me!"

"She's lying," the soldier hissed. "That village was lost months ago, he's got to be dead. She's playing you!"

"Then how did she know whose brother I was? Only three people know his name and none of them would have told her!" Jura snapped back at him, sparing him only a moment's thought before returning her intense gaze to the merchant.

_I thought so. It always pays off to know about people's relations, one way or another._

"All in good time," Siensao said mildly. "Although, it has been a while since I saw him last. Really, I can't be sure he's even still alive. Once we reach an agreement, I can devote more time to ensuring his well-being." However, only a lifetime of discipline prevented her from showing any of her shock. This_ is the person the Order has spent a week looking for all over Omashu? This is Jomei's sister? Here? Well...I am almost tempted to swear._ _But this can be turned to my advantage in my dealings with Jomei...if I handle it correctly._

Jura took the hint and threat immediately.

"You keep my family out of this," she said slowly, each word smoldering with suppressed rage. There were the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "It's me you want, not them."

"Yeah, the whole blowing things up threat, that goes for this too," Kyuzo put in, still nervous and twitchy.

"No explosions," Jura said to him softly. "Enough people have died already."

"I know, I know. Sorry. It's all I've got. Explosions and scintillating conversation and she's better than me at conversation."

"What I want is the story of how this came about." Siensao said. "If you'll tell me that, I might be persuaded to forget about them. I'm terribly sorry to be prying it out of you like this, but I don't have the time to make friends."

Jura let out a harsh bark of laughter.

"Sorry? You're no such thing," she said. "And it's a long story."

Siensao leaned against the door. Despite what Jura said, she _was_ feeling guilty about making the woman believe she would ever hurt someone's family to get to them. _I have some standards left. I'm not a monster._

"As it happens," she said, "I have plenty of time to hear it."

"I suppose I should start at the beginning," Jura said, looking sullen. "I've lived most of my life in Omashu, but I originally come from Teoro, like you said. As a child, I had some kind of recurring illness and the country life wasn't helping it any, so they sent me here. Unfortunately, what I got here was less than ideal."

_There were, Healer Jie reflected, few things more devastating than the expression on a little girl's face when you told her there was nothing you could do. Her legs dangling off the edge of her bed, Jura stared down at the floor, crestfallen._

_"So they can't make me better," she mumbled. "Everyone told me it would be okay when I got here. I had all the silver and everything. It's not fair."_

_Jie sighed._

_"The ingredients for the medicine we think would be most effective are just too expensive for us to keep on hand regularly. We don't have enough money to buy them, even with your contribution factored in. I'll try and look around to see if any merchant or noble is feeling generous, but..." He trailed off helplessly. It was times like this he wished he'd never become a healer. He hated having to disappoint people._

"Jie found a way to make up for it, though; he found a replacement father for me," Jura continued, brutal in her simplicity. "The man had lost a young daughter to fever a few months ago and I reminded him of her, so he paid for my medicine and adopted me. For a few years, we were happy, and I grew out of that sickness. I even learned how to earthbend, which I never could have done otherwise. I wanted to go back to the village, but then something else happened."

_Jura was walking home from another day spent in her apprenticeship as a sculptor when the a shout sounded behind her. She turned to see a man sprinting right at her, his eyes wide and frenzied, a half-dozen members of the city guard behind him, yelling for him to stop. She flattened herself against the nearest wall, heart pounding, terrified. He ran past, then stopped and slammed his foot down. A crack raced across the street and up the side of the building she had her back against. Looking up, she saw the side of the building crumble and fall. She tried to run, but tripped on a loose paving stone and fell, face-up, looking directly at the rain of jagged stones. Most of them missed, but one of them hit her right leg with an awful crunch. For an instant, she stared, dumbfounded, at the splatter of red that had suddenly appeared on the paving stones. Then the agony caught up with her and the world faded to black._

"They had to take the leg off. I used to have a wooden leg and a crutch," Jura went on. "Since it hurt so much to put weight on the wood, I wasn't going anywhere near Teoro like that. It was lucky I was a sculptor's apprentice and could figure out how to make _this_ for myself." She reached down and pulled up her pant leg to reveal solid granite, polished smooth. "It took years to get the design right, and more time to learn how to walk with it and build up the earthbending endurance. And then, when I was finally getting ready to head back to my village, we got word that it had fallen to the Fire Nation forces coming in from the east." She had a despairing look on her face. "Now I'll never be able to go home. So when I heard that Kyuzo was being held up here, I begged to get in to see him. I was angry and sad and hurt and I wanted to take it out on someone who was at least partially responsible for ruining my life's work."

"Yeah," Kyuzo said, a sheepish grin on his face, remembering. "She tore me apart the first time. You'd have thought I'd be used to it by then, but this was different."

_Kyuzo stared in amazement at the young woman who had just unleashed a torrent of abuse that would blister a komodo rhino's hide. He'd never heard a more inspirational story, or seen a more beautiful soul._

_"Thank you," he said._

_"What for?" she asked, baffled._

_"For giving me hope again," he answered, smiling. "That you were able to keep hoping for something better, even though all these terrible things happened to you, that's damn impressive. And here I was giving up just having to sit in this cell all day. That's nothing compared to what you've gone through."_

_"I'm just too dumb to give up hope is more like it," she sniffled. "I come down here to try and make you miserable and you thank me for it! How's that for disappointment?"_

_Kyuzo knelt down next to where she'd fallen to her knees outside the bars of his cell._

_"I'm sorry," he said. "But seeing someone so beautiful, how can I be miserable?"_

_"Shut up, you murderer!" She got to her feet and stormed out of the cell, slamming the door behind her, leaving Kyuzo much more forlorn than he had been in a long time._

_"Damn," he said._

"I suppose that's why I came back," Jura said. "I wanted to know why he'd told me all that. As time went on, I just couldn't make myself see all the bad things I'd wanted to. One thing led to another and..." She was glowering again. "And now you've ruined this, too. I was just getting some part of my life back. Who are _you_, really?"

Siensao was about to take a calculated risk.

"Who I am isn't important. It's what I can offer that is." She lowered her voice. "What if I told you that I might be able to break Kyuzo out?"

"Really?" Kyuzo said, looking excited at the prospect. "You can get me out?"

"What's the catch?" Jura wanted to know, suspicious. "And why?"

"Hold on just a minute!" the other guard exclaimed, incredulous. "You're not serious! They'll have me executed! I can't lose this guy on my watch! Why on earth did I ever let you talk me into this?"

"It wouldn't be on your watch," Siensao assured him, again wondering what kind of persuasion Jura had used to make him amiable to her wishes. "You would not be implicated in any way." She looked back to Jura. "And the price is that he comes with me on a trip myself and others are taking around the Earth Kingdom. We'll be back in several months, if we're lucky, longer or not at all, if we're unlucky."

"So all you'll be doing is breaking him out to face death again for your twisted little whims? No deal!" Jura snapped. "I'll do it myself and become a fugitive before I let _you_ get your claws on him!"

"Yeah, and even if I get free, I'm pretty sure they'll kill me if I happen to cross paths with my old unit," Kyuzo put in. "I was supposed to die before letting the enemy make use of me in any way." He gave a hollow chuckle. "But as I'm sure you know, I'm just not that brave. So I agree, that doesn't sound like a good deal to me."

Siensao raised an eyebrow. _I guess I've been having it too easy lately, working with men like Jomei and half-suicidal types like Reki. Go figure that the man I need doesn't have a convenient death wish for me to work with_. She looked at Jura, and almost smirked. _On the other hand..._

"All right," she said addressing Jura. "How about this, then: I'll take your brother along with me to look after Kyuzo. If you don't trust me, you can trust him. Jomei's been asking to accompany me, but I've delayed answering him. You have my word I won't ask or order Kyuzo to fight anyone, and in the event that I'm killed, both of them are free to go with enough money to see them back here. That's the best deal I can offer."

"But you can't break him out, this place is inescapable!" the other guard protested. "You'll be caught and you'll drag me down with you! Even if you succeed, I only got Jura in here because I told the other guard who's supposed to be here that I'd get someone to cover for him while he works a second job. He'll suspect whoever I got was behind the whole thing!"

"I told you," Jura said, her voice low and dangerous, "to _shut up!_" But she didn't turn and face him. Instead, she only stood, silent, glaring at Siensao, while tears began to run down her face.

Siensao looked away, oddly embarassed, but Jura snarled, "Don't you _dare_ turn your back on me! I want you to remember what you've done in the name of peace!" So the merchant remained where she was.

Eventually, Kyuzo spoke up, for once, without the bravado and banter that he usually affected.

"Listen, if you'd rather I stay here and we try and fine some other way out of this...then I will. I've got nowhere to go back to. The only thing I'm good for now is cheering you up a little. I'd rather spend the rest of my life doing that then get killed trying to break out."

Jura shook her head, miserable.

"No, she's right, it's the only way we'll ever get anything even close to a normal life. I don't want you to die because of me and I'm not going to let my father lose another daughter." She turned to the guard. "And your friend won't tell anyone anything or he'll find himself arrested too. He leaves so you can bring in some mysterious stranger and keeps it up for months? Awfully convenient. It's either this or I'll do it myself and you'll definitely be executed. So make your choice, Ren Wei."

The guard lowered his head.

"Go ahead," he muttered. "At least there'll finally be an end to this mess."

Jura looked at Siensao with a familiar expression of loathing.

"We accept," she said. "I hope you're satisfied."

Siensao bowed slightly.

"Eminently so. However, there are complications to be addressed and we need to talk further. Why don't we discuss it over dinner tonight? You can pick the place." _If Jomei finds out, things will become very unpleasant for all concerned, so it's best to handle the two of them separately. It's unfortunate that she insisted on coming along, but I'm sure I can manage._

"We'll meet at sunset at the _Jade Rabbit-Squirrel's Den_ in the Shulai District," Jura said, scrubbing at her eyes with a sleeve. "Now get out of my sight."

"As you wish." Siensao left the dungeon with a little more haste than usual. _I'll definitely need to prepare each of them for meeting the other or I'll have a real fight on my hands. I'll think it over while I check in with Zoukani and Kei Dao._


	9. Shadows of the Past

Jomei entered the academy's temple with a deep sense of foreboding. In Teoro, their small shrine to the earth spirits was built upon the bare stone of the mountain slopes, open to the wind and weather, and the only reason anyone went there was at the start and end of the farming season, to invoke their blessing on the crops, whenever they ran across a new ore vein, to apologize for hacking the stuff out of the earth, or when hostile spirits tried to harm someone, which hadn't happened since his great-grandfather's time. This place reminded him of the natural caverns they sometimes broke into when mining. Vast, dark, and mysterious. At least it wasn't dripping wet. His hammer was a comforting weight on his shoulder, and despite it being indoors, he was wearing his hat. He wasn't going to leave it lying around in a city like this.

Dongzhou and another man were waiting for him. Jomei recognized Iseul the spiritualist from the description Dongzhou had given him and gave him a respectful nod.

"Thanks for coming in on short notice," he said. "How long do you think it'll take?"

Iseul's narrow shoulders lifted in a shrug.

"It depends," he said in a thin, reedy voice, "on any number of things. But I shouldn't think more than an hour or so, most likely less, since we have that weapon of yours for use as a focus. We're all set up here, all you need do is give the word. And I won't think less of you if you'd prefer not to be here. Meddling with spiritual affairs can be quite dangerous and I don't want anyone to get hurt because they didn't know what they were getting into."

"Thanks for the warning," Jomei said, "but I've been waiting for this for a long time and there's no way Granddad is getting away from me." He still felt a little apprehensive about handing over his hammer to anyone, but it wasn't as if it was going very far and he'd do a lot more to get his ancestor out of his head if it came to that.

"It need hardly be said," Dongzhou put in, seeming a little uneasy at Iseul's presence, (Jomei thought that a little odd, since the master had been the one to bring the man in on this little party) "that you'll do exactly as you're told throughout the ritual, and consult both myself and Iseul before entering into any agreement. I will say it anyway, though, and will probably have to say it again: try not to be angry."

Jomei frowned. _I'll have a fine time trying to do that if you two are going to be whispering instructions in my ears all the time. But sure, why not?_

"Sure," he said aloud. "Let's just get started."

The first thing to be done, as it turned out, was for Iseul to carefully explain what he was going to do and what Jomei should do, and have the miner repeat it all back to him to make sure he'd understood. _I'll bet most of his time is spent explaining things to people, _Jomei groused inwardly, _since it's been twenty minutes already. I can see why Dongzhou doesn't like the guy ,besides the fact that he pokes around with the spirits, he's even more talkative than the master._

Once that was finished, under the direction of the two old men, Jomei set down his hammer, the handle sticking up in the air, in the middle of the chalk 'spirit circle', then sat down just outside it, folding his legs under him. Dongzhou and Iseul sat down so that the three of them were at an equal distance from each other around the circle. Jomei took a minute to examine just what was required to get his grandfather off his back. The circle was made up entirely of characters in the old language of the Earth Kingdom, from before the time Avatar Yidei enforced the common tongue on the Four Nations; at least, that's what Iseul claimed. They all made about as much sense as pig-chicken scratch to Jomei. More lines of characters spiraled inward from the circle towards his hammer. A small altar had been set up in front of Iseul, a pair of lit candles flanking several sticks of smoking incense standing straight in a small sand-filled bronze bowl. Like new-fallen snow, the smoke's scent was sharp, yet soothing.

Behind the bowl was a reproduction, according to Jomei's memory, of Hanhei's ancestral tablet that, as far as the miner knew, was still in his family's house in Teoro. He had knelt before it quite a few times when praying for the aid of his ancestors and could draw the design in his sleep. This was only paper backed by a wooden frame, of course, not stone.

The temple around them was empty of people, but chock full of engravings, statues, and altars large and small, to the many spirits present in this part of Omashu and some to those of the earth beneath the city. Dongzhou turned off the glowcrystals with a wave of his hand, leaving them in near darkness. The only illumination came from the candles and the smoldering incense, spheres of light in a black void. Then Iseul began praying, again, using the old Earth Kingdom language, which Jomei had never learned, figuring that surely the spirits could understand the common tongue, as most people did. He only knew that it made him nervous, for there was a subtle power in the words. Iseul's voice no longer seemed quite so reedy. It was almost hypnotic.

As the spiritualist droned on, Jomei felt a warm breeze on the back of his neck, blowing about the temple. The candle flames remained steady and strong, though. _Did they just flare up? I could have sworn they just got bigger._ The smell from the incense had changed, too, it shifted to that of alpine flowers in spring, then the stagnant air of the mines, then the evergreen forests of the lower mountains, then ash. It settled at last on the indefinable smell of age, dry and dusty. Iseul's chanting slowly rose in volume. In the half-light of the candles, Jomei thought he saw the characters written on the floor _moving_ up onto the hammer, but he had to be mistaken. Then, without warning, Iseul stopped speaking. He paused. When he spoke again, it was in the common tongue.

"_Come forth._"

The breeze died, and for a moment, all was still and silent. Just long enough for Jomei's fear to rise to the breaking point. _This isn't right, we shouldn't be doing this, why are we trying to muck about with the spirits?_ But he remembered why he was doing it and his resolve returned. Then the incense smoke coalesced, drawing color from the candle flames, rising and expanding until Hanhei knelt before them, both hands clutching the handle of the warhammer like a lifeline. His form was blurred at the edges, resembling the smoke he had been born from, but he was there, and he didn't look happy. He was glaring at Iseul, who, to Jomei's astonishment, looked honestly amused.

"Why do you summon me, you dried-up stick of a mortal?" he demanded, his voice coming from someplace far away and echoing in the enormous space.

"You continue to trouble the living, spirit," Iseul replied. "Why have you stirred from your eternal rest?"

Hanhei looked as though he spoke unwillingly.

"I never found it in the first place. At the moment of my death, I fought the call to the Spirit World. I became stuck in this weapon, unable to move on. But I remained aware. I had a mind to think with, and I could see part of what I could have seen had I let myself die. After decades of mortal time, studying the future, I came to understand the warp and weft of destiny. And when my grandson picked up my prison to leave our home village, I knew then that my purpose was to help him in the trials to come, by telling him how to avoid what I have seen. But he refuses to listen."

"Attempting to guide his destiny will not release you from your prison," Iseul said mildly. "I fear you have gone mad from your torment."

"What I have become is focused," Hanhei argued. "I would like nothing better than to be released, but helping my grandson is more important."

"It would seem you have still not learned how to let go," Iseul said. "How can your spirit be released?"

Hanhei looked even more upset and unwilling to answer, but answer he did. "Either have this hammer melted down or enlist the aid of a spirit powerful enough to free me. And I will fight you every step of the way. My work here isn't done."

"I expect your grandson disagrees," Iseul said. "I have nothing more to say to you, spirit."

Dongzhou nodded to Jomei, and Hanhei looked over to the miner with a good measure of loathing.

"So, Grandad, why didn't you tell me all this in the first place?" Jomei demanded.

"Because I knew that if you knew, you wouldn't take my advice," his ancestor snapped. "I knew you wouldn't believe the truth, that you'd think I'm insane, just like this idiot here."

"For once, you're damned right. Whatever crap you think you understand from listening to the wind or whatnot, I don't want to hear it."

Jomei paused, then bared his teeth in a rather disturbing grin. "On the other hand, I'm not saying you're completely useless. I want what you know."

Hanhei frowned. "But you just..."

"Not that," Jomei interrupted. "I want what you know about war and fighting. I don't have any use for your ravings about my destiny, but we can work out a deal if you keep them to yourself and give me what I want. Otherwise, I dig up a earth spirit and have'em kick you out of _my_ hammer. Got it?"

Hanhei's ghostly laughter was empty of humor.

"Well, when you put it that way...but mark my words. Once your destiny begins to break upon you, you'll be begging for my help again. I agree to your terms. Are we done here?"

"We're done," Jomei said. Then he turned to Iseul. "End this."

The spiritualist bowed his head and spoke once more in the old language. The candle flames blew out and Hanhei vanished into the darkness. When Dongzhou turned the glowcrystals back up, everything was as it had been, except the sticks of incense had burned out.

The encounter with Hanhei and his own boldness (both Iseul and Dongzhou had been less than thrilled by his bargaining and informed him explicitly why one didn't treat with spirits, let alone angry ones) left Jomei shaken and glad to get out of there. Unfortunately, it didn't take him long to run into more trouble in the form of Siensao, just returned from the prison. He was playing cards with Zoukani and on the verge of losing the last of the Pai Sho tiles they were using for stakes when she arrived.

"Jomei, I need to talk to you," she said. "I have good news and bad news." She gave Zoukani a certain look and the soldier nodded. Gathering up his cards, he stepped out of the room.

"Give me the bad news first," Jomei said, frowning."

Siensao chose her words with extreme care.

"You know we'll have to go through Fire Nation territory on our journey."

He nodded. "I know that. I assumed you or your people had a plan."

"The Fire Nation watches its boundaries carefully and they won't let foreigners in or out without being cleared by the authorities. Fortunately, there's an exception for merchant ships. We can get in by sea."

Jomei already felt sick. "I don't like boats."

Siensao ignored him and continued, "However, once we are in, we won't know the proper customs, how we'll have to behave, how to travel without arousing suspicion, a lot of things. We can't get by without a little inside help."

Jomei's nod was slower and more hesitant this time. _Where is she going with this?_ "Agreed. What do you propose?"

Siensao took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. _Steady, Siensao. He'll do it. Maybe after a lot of yelling, but you can handle that._ Now came the dangerous part.

She pointed in the direction of the dungeon that held Kyuzo. "You know that Fire Nation soldier I've been getting information out of? If we can break him out in exchange for helping us through the occupied territories, that would solve our problems."

Jomei's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "_What?_ I will _not_ let—"

"By the spirits, keep it down!" Siensao hissed and Jomei grudgingly lowered his voice, but his face showed only black rage and his words were still angry.

"There's no way you can trust him! He's just a lying, sneering, arrogant bastard like all the rest! And you want to get him out of there? He should be left there to rot, or killed. Either way is far too good for him."

Siensao refused to let him intimidate her. "To the Fire Nation, a man's honor is his bond, his measure, and his life. He won't break an oath sworn by that."

Jomei laughed, a sharp, ugly sound. "Honor. They don't know the meaning of the word. Takano's definition of 'honor' was apologizing as he had his thugs beat up the women of Teoro. Kanetsu's idea of honor was that it let him treat us as less than dirt because we supposedly didn't have any. I'm not going to stake all of our lives on the idea that this person, whoever he is, will keep a promise made on such a thing."

Siensao fought down her rising frustration, but her words took on an edge.

"Do you know another way to safely travel through hundreds of miles of Fire Nation territory?"

Jomei ground his teeth. "No, but that doesn't mean—"

She didn't let him finish, speaking over his excuses. "Then we have no choice, do we? You said you would trust me, remember. I know people. Trust that I've got this man figured out."

Jomei groaned, lowering his head. "You ask the one thing on earth that I can't do. There has to be another way. _Any_ other way is better than this."

"There isn't another way. I've thought and thought about it. I know what I'm asking. And I'm sorry I have to. Will you trust me, or did I pick the wrong person?"

Jomei looked as though he might split in two under the tension that ran through him, making every muscle stand and sinew stand out. He was at war, with two of his most cherished principles fighting each other. Vengeance against trust. In the end, as both he and Siensao had always known on some level, trust won. The fight left him and he spoke almost too low to hear, seeming much smaller somehow. "All right…I'll do it."

Siensao let out a breath, relaxing. She too spoke quietly, but from the heart. "Thank you. That's all I needed to hear. I'll explain the plan to you tomorrow."

Some of the old fire returned. "At the slightest hint of treachery, if I even _think_ he twitches his nose the wrong way, he gets his head smashed in. That's a promise. Now...what was the good news?"

"I have located your sister. She's alive and well and living in Omashu as a sculptor. Apparently she is an earthbender after all."

Not very many things could have affected Jomei as deeply as hearing that. In truth, when he had given up hope of getting any news of Jura he had also given up along with it any hope that she was still alive. It was easier that way. Now, though, he felt as though a layer of armor he didn't even know he had was cracking apart, leaving him free again, free to feel joy about his last relative, to smile at the news.

But immediately afterward he was assailed by doubts. After all, the last memory he had of her was a faded recollection of a little girl that didn't come out to play with the other children very often. What was she like now? He couldn't picture it. What was he going to say to her? Spirits, what _could_ he say to her?

Siensao, of course, noticed his discomfort.

"I didn't mention that you were here as well, so if you'd rather not speak with her, you don't have to."

"No! I mean, I do want to, it's just...I don't know how. I can't seem to get along with almost anybody anymore, what if I get angry at her and then I get violent and...that would be worse than if we just never met."

"Well, you have a day to think about it," Siensao reassured him. "Take your time. Meanwhile, though, what happened at the seance?"

With difficulty, Jomei forced away his unease.

"Quite a bit," he said. "Looks like I've got one more thing to worry about."

He told her in a few words about the results of the ceremony, and she frowned, putting a hand to her chin in deep thought.

"That's rather disturbing," she remarked when he finished. "But I agree with your decision. A bound spirit could be a useful ally, so long as he's kept on a short leash. If I get the chance, I'll look into a way to communicate with him without the need for a seance. You told me he was a skilled soldier in life. There are definite possibilities here. Only with your approval, of course, he's your ancestor." _Not that I can't just do that when you're not looking._

"Yeah," Jomei said, nodding absently. _What am I going to say to her?_ "I'd appreciate that."

As the sun was setting over Omashu and the creatures of the night were emerging from the shadows, a stranger approached the table in the inn where Reki sat drinking alone. The place was practically empty, approaching closing time and the city was taking on the familiar rhythms of an active night life. Even a hundred year war couldn't make much of a dent in what went on beneath the moon and stars, here within the walls.

At this point, Reki was not yet drunk enough to abandon her vigilance. Her eyes remained sharp and her sword was laid on the table in front of her. Her back was firmly against a stone wall. So she saw the stranger approach with no trouble at all and was aware that they were ready for trouble.

The stranger was a woman, though it was harder to tell because she was wearing an outfit much like Reki's own desert garb, loose-fitting layers of brown, even about her head, with only her eyes showing. A long warrior's scorpion tail emerged at the back of her head, hanging to just below her shoulders. She wore a _khanda_, a sword of the eastern Earth Kingdom, on her back, a heavy, wide, blunt-tipped weapon with a killing spike jutting out from the hilt, parallel to the blade. She halted a few steps away from Reki's table. Reki's only reaction was to pick up her sword and prepare to draw it if necessary.

"What do you want?" she asked without interest.

The other woman put her palms together and performed a formal bow.

"Peace be upon you and Shenshai's mercy and blessings," she said. She had a low and growling voice, but not necessarily an unpleasant one. Reki was surprised at the greeting, for it was meant to greatly honor the person being addressed. She almost obeyed her instinct and gave the appropriate response. Then she remembered that all the Si Wong hated her guts.

"You are unwise to try and begin a conversation by insulting me with lies in flowery words. In the past, I would have killed you for that. Therefore, you want to pick a fight. I am not interested. Go away."

The other woman raised her hands.

"All right, all right, if that's how it's going to be. I just want to talk. We put aside weapons at the same time, agreed?

"Agreed."

Slowly, the two of them set their swords off to the side, where they would have to lean over to snatch them up. Then the stranger pulled off the cloth hiding her face and Reki raised an eyebrow. A network of thin white scars, blade cuts made long ago, curved and spiraled across the other woman's face, disappearing below the neck. The patterns might have been called beautiful if they had been ink on paper, but here they were the mark of a sadistic artist and ruined whatever charm she might have possessed previously.

"My name is Karida of the Alaika tribe," she said. "And I came here to ask a favor of you, Reki of the Hami tribe. Though I see you don't recognize me."

A sudden pain knifed through Reki's mind and a flash of memory returned. _The interior of a tent, holding a bloody knife, the muffled screams going on forever...no!_ She broke free, putting one hand to her head, and looked up at Karida with greater understanding.

"I remember...something," she muttered. "But no, I do not recognize you or remember any details. I gave you those scars, didn't I?"

Karida nodded. She seemed eerily calm, considering the subject matter.

"You did. If you will let me sit down, I will tell you why I am here."

"Sit," Reki said. "But keep your hands where I can see them and no sudden movements. Your vengeance will not be easily obtained."

Karida sat, but didn't seem offended.

"I didn't come here for vengeance," she said. "Hard as that may be to believe. But the guilty are ever mistrustful, so it is said. I came here because you are the key to uniting the tribes. You understand what that means? It means all outsiders will be driven from our home or put to the sword, it means we deal with what's left of the Earth Kingdom on our terms, it means we are to be honored allies, not servants. It means we, as a people, will finally have the respect that is due us."

"For as long as it takes one petty blood feud or argument to break up this alliance of yours," Reki said. "Or as long as it takes for whoever leads to be killed either by war or treachery. Or as long as it takes for the Earth Kingdom to treat us with contempt in some way. The Si Wong will never stand united unless our way of life is threatened and everyone knows it is death to invade the desert. Your alliance was doomed from the beginning."

"Without you frustrating me at every turn, the alliance has already been made," Karida retorted. "I have made it happen, dreamed it and forged it into being. It was not easy, I grant you that, but it is done and, if the spirits are willing, it will last long enough for us to survive this war. The chieftains are prepared to put aside their differences and name me Queen of the Si Wong. However, they are well aware of my history with you, and they think me weak for not seeking vengeance all these years."

"Let me guess," Reki said. "They demand my head as proof of your bravery. I think not. I happen to still be using it."

"If you surrender peacefully and return with me, I will do everything I can to spare your life or at least give you the chance to earn it back. Even if I fail, your death will bring about a new era for our people."

"_Your_ people, Karida," Reki bit out. "Not mine. And I will not die for your mad dreams of empire. The moment the tribes become like the Earth Kingdom, they lose that which makes them strong. You wish to kill the spirit of the desert. Perhaps you might gain something, but you would lose too much in doing so. Even aside from all of that, any realm which begins in blood is forever tainted by it. If you could only unite the tribes through my death, then death is all you will get by that. Both you and the tribes should know this."

Karida shook her head sadly.

"You never had vision, Reki. You could never change with the times. Things are different now. The old ways won't save us from the Fire Nation once they finish with the rest of the Earth Kingdom. We need to become a power while we still have the chance. That doesn't mean I like it, and you're right that killing you isn't the right way to begin this nation. But it's what has to happen. I'll give you a couple days to think about it."

"I do not require days," Reki said coldly. "I do not require any time at all. I will not die for you or _your_ people, not now, not ever. You lost the right to demand anything of me when you cast me out. Now get out and do not come back."

Karida stood up.

"A pity. You could have done this the easy way. But now I have to call in the bounty on your head. If you are still in the city by midday of the day after tomorrow, you will be hunted down. Or you can choose the honorable way and face me. I will be waiting at the fifth granary in the Yuezhi district if that is your choice. Why your idiot brother didn't kill you-" She ducked, as a wine jug flew overhead, shattering against the wall and spraying her with rice wine.

"Insult my brother again and I will butcher you like a beast!" Reki snarled. "I said _get out!_"

Karida looked her in the eye and said, "He was a sentimental fool who got what he deserved."

Reki stood up, her face blank. There was nothing more to be said. A threat was a promise.

"I will meet you tomorrow at the granary at midday," she said, in a voice that might have come from a dead woman, leaden and dull. "And you will beg for death. I swear my life to this by the blood of Shenshai, may he burn my soul to ash if I do otherwise." That was the single most binding oath among the people of the desert, a promise that meant the one who made it would do as they said or die trying, for the rest of their life. Karida at least had the sense to swallow hard.

"It is agreed."

The two women bowed to each other, then Karida left, only turning around when at the door. Reki sat down again. In the fearful quiet that followed, Zoukani left his seat by the bar and sat down across from the swordswoman. He had his writing box out.

"What," Reki said to him flatly, "do you want?"

_I merely wished to convey my admiration. I never would have thought you of all people would defend your brother._

"The admiration of a failure is not something I covet."

_You know, you could rule the desert in her place when you win._

"I know. But I will not. I will not return to those times. The woman who would have agreed with you is dead."

_Then what have you to fear?_

Reki took a long drink.

"The dead may rise," she said. "I have seen it. It is difficult, but not impossible. And she sits restlessly in her grave."

Zoukani raised an eyebrow.

_If you continue to go on living, you'll have to face them both sooner or later._

"I know," Reki said. "That does not make it any more pleasant."

Elsewhere, under the cover of darkness, three shadowy figures crept towards a certain house in one of the middle class districts. Ostensibly, it was the residence of Mi Hung, an astrologer, scholar, and courtier renowned for his ability to take offense at the least bit of disagreement and repay imagined slights tenfold to whoever crossed him. This included just about everyone. Thus, no one ever came calling when not on official business and the place was seemingly falling apart, as no servant could be found who was willing to work there. It was the perfect place from which to command spies and assassins, and it was to here that Kei Dao and Siensao had tracked the man's former employers. It was amazing how quickly his problems in doing so evaporated in the presence of gold. Now they crouched in the shadows, along with Zoukani, faces masked and blades blackened so as not to give them away with reflected light.

"The place isn't nearly as defenseless as it appears," Kei Dao whispered. "Guarded at all times, the walls are solid-those cracks and other damage are all purely cosmetic in nature-and no basement to tunnel into. The first floor is Mi Hung's residence, notice how on the second floor all the windows are shuttered? There's only stone behind them. The only ways in or out is up the stairs or through the roof, and the buildings immediately surrounding the place are only one story. Not to mention, the roof is guarded as well. Only a genius could even consider breaking into a place like that before they can hide or burn their records." He paused a moment, and Siensao rolled her eyes. "How fortunate that I happen to be one." Then he was all business again. "Tell me the plan one more time. How do we work it?"

"Me and Zoukani break in through one of the bottom windows while you climb the wall and take out the guards up top, then we wait. If possible, we take out any guards below. If we hear a commotion, we just break in, but otherwise, after you've succeeded, Zoukani guards the staircase while I climb up to join you and we ambush the rest of them through the roof." _And if you've betrayed us and it's a trap, we'll call on the city watch, who think this is a legitimate operation by Omashu's spies targeted at suspected Fire Nation operatives. We'll lose the information, but remain alive._ She didn't doubt Kei Dao had noticed the lurking watchmen on their way to the house, which made their presence a less-than-subtle reminder that she didn't trust him, despite his promise.

He nodded at her recitation.

"Perfect. Well then, let's do it." He took a deep breath, then sprinted across the narrow side street to the back wall of the house. After spending a moment with his back pressed to the stone, he took out and slipped on a set of climbing claws. With the stone this broken on the outside, it would be a simple task to get to the roof.

Siensao and Zoukani dashed across, heading for one of the ground floor windows. As Kei Dao began his slow, torturous climb, the merchant tested the integrity of the window shutters. There wasn't even a crack to slip a tool through to open the latch, so she held up two fingers to Zoukani. The soldier brought out a small saw on loan from Kei Dao and applied it to the hinges. The quiet rasp didn't carry very far and soon enough, all the hinges were cut, leaving the shutters held in place only by gravity. Siensao looked up and saw that Kei Dao was over halfway up and had still not made a sound to give himself away. If she hadn't known he was there, she could never have spotted him.

Zoukani took out a small pot of grease and smeared it liberally on the hinges. Then he and Siensao each took hold of one end of the shutters, and lifted them off the window. The curtains were drawn, and all was dark inside. Mi Hung had been too cheap to put in glass, so the two of them slipped in quickly, then lifted the shutters back into place as best they could. Siensao's heart was beating fast, but so far, so good. The layout of the house was just as their investigations had said. They were in a combination kitchen and dining room on the west side of the house, the sliding door to their right led to the living room, and the door just ahead was the single bedroom, where the abusive official was sleeping. Siensao had no particular quarrel with the man, but it was imperative that he sleep through everything, so she nodded to Zoukani. He slid open the bedroom door a fraction, then nodded back.

A dark lantern came out of Zoukani's pack, and he lit it with one of Kei Dao's Fire Nation spark-sticks. Siensao produced a blowgun and loaded a dart. Sliding it into the gap, she gave a thumbs up to the soldier, who uncovered the lantern just enough to illuminate the sleeping man on the bed. He stirred slightly. Siensao's dart got him in the neck. Half-asleep, he made as if to slap at his neck, then lay back down. He didn't stir again, though they watched him for a few minutes to make sure.

Kei Dao had finally reached the top of the wall, where eaves of the tiled roof braced the stone. The watcher was on his own little balcony and would spot the assassin if he climbed over the edge. So now he carefully maneuvered his way around to the side of the building and, like some diabolical spider, made his way past the overhang and set foot upon the tiles. This was the hard part of the job, the part he hated. He climbed again, this time towards the peak of the roof, and from there, a slow descent so that he overlooked the little balcony. One soldier sat at its edge, bundled up warmly, which meant the other would be sitting right next to the door, in the safer position. An assailant could take out one, but he'd be caught by the other. The poison on Kei Dao's darts-Siensao used sleeping sap, the fool woman-took a minute or two to take full effect and he couldn't have them raise the alarm. He smiled under his mask. Only a genius could pull this one off.

Siensao and Zoukani slid open the other door and padded softly into the living room. A staircase on the far side of the room led up to the doorway of the second floor. No guards were in sight, which meant that they would be behind the door, and if someone broke in, they'd sound the alarm. It looked like she'd be going in the top way after all. Nodding to Zoukani, who took up a position on the staircase, she unbarred the front door and exited the house.

Kei Dao gathered his legs under him, turned around backwards, carefully gauged the distance, and jumped, coming out of the darkness like a demon of the night. His two feet landed squarely on the outer guard's head and slammed it onto the stone railing. He felt something go crunch under his boots and blessed the hidden steel plates in his footwear. He was holding two throwing knives and hurled them in midair, before the other guard had time to do more than take a breath so he could yell a warning. One knife hit the throat, the other the eye. The second guard was sent back into his chair, slumping lifelessly. The knives were poisoned too, naturally. A master assassin always made sure of his mark. Hopping off the railing, Kei Dao took a silent bow to the two corpses. _If only Siensao could see this. Oh well. Now the fun part begins._

A slim black rope was tossed down to Siensao, who swarmed up it as fast as possible. Reeling the rope back in, Kei Dao indicated his handiwork with an air of pride, as if to ask her what she thought. She shrugged. The two of them went over to the door and, to their lack of surprise, found it locked. This level of paranoia was necessary. Kei Dao's little black bag disgorged a set of lockpicks and he set to work. Soon enough, both sets of tumblers yielded to his skill and the knob moved freely. It was also barred, but the assassin produced two long and thin pieces of steel and slid them through the tiny gaps between the door and the frame. Together, the two of them lifted the bar out of place. Kei Dao put his hand on the knob and gave Siensao a nod. The merchant's heart beat faster. _This is it._ He nodded in return. For a moment, they paused. Then they sprang into action.

Kei Dao twisted the knob and shoved the door open, sprinting into the room beyond, with Siensao following behind. A middle-aged man looked up from the papers he was reading, startled. Kei Dao took him down in a flying tackle while Siensao beat out the fire he'd tried to start by knocking over a candle. Only a small section of the papers had burned, too little to make a difference.

"Deal with him," Kei Dao ordered, and she took out another blowgun dart and stabbed the man's arm, while the assassin went to deal with the other guards who had come storming in, two more of them, carrying knives. He drew his twin sai daggers-his kusari-gama wasn't meant for such close quarters-and met them in a flurry of blackened steel. The fight didn't last long. Both guards received nicks from his sai and shortly thereafter, they fell in their tracks. More poisoned blades. Kei Dao made sure of things by giving each of them a red smile, then unlocked the bottom door and let Zoukani in. Time returned to its normal pace and Siensao got a better look at the room.

It took up half of the second floor, with a bedroom visible through an archway in the wall that ran down the center, and bookshelves lined the walls, crammed with thick tomes and scrolls made of both paper and bamboo. A long table and chairs took up most of one half and the surviving man's desk and chair sat in the center of the other half, with a fireplace behind them. Thick candles, slowly dissolving into liquid wax, along with a small fire, provided decent illumination. The furnishings were plain and solid, nothing fancy. Siensao turned her attention to the man she had at sword point, who was finally succumbing to the sleeping sap. He looked like a hard man, scarred and worn, his hair flecked with grey.

She motioned for Kei Dao to take over watching him, exchanging her katana for one of his sai. She quickly shuffled through the papers, skimming the text in search of the information she wanted. The words leapt out at her. They were couched in obscure language, but to the discerning eye, their meaning was obvious. _The merchant's price is too much. The attempt to talk her down has failed. I recommend obtaining a new negotiator. The one we used seems to have changed his mind and may betray our position. It may be premature, but we should consider asking our sponsor in the capital for the use of a few of his people in future customer negotiations such as this, the ones who can teach lessons to rocks or royalty alike._ No signature or any sign of who it was addressed to. Siensao's gaze grew hard and cold._ As I thought. They're involved with the Dai Li. More than that, they're willing to call them in over me. Nice to confirm I'm so well regarded, though I wish I wasn't, in this case._

She gathered the papers into a bundle and stuffed them into her pack. Together, Kei Dao and Siensao lifted up their captive and the three of them left the house of Mi Hung, as silently as they'd come. Both Siensao and Kei Dao had agreed not to kill the chief agent. He was evidence to present to Dongzhou that even those of the Order could be corrupted. _And now that that's confirmed, _she thought morosely, _there are even fewer people I can trust._

Another day dawned over Omashu, bringing with it a drizzling rain that pattered lightly over the stones and a steel-gray sky of clouds. There was little wind, but the rain was icy cold and the citizens didn't linger outside unless they had good reason. The merchants either put up canopies or retreated indoors, the earthbenders that ran the mail system threw on heavy cloaks, and Jomei put on his new boots for a journey across the city.

Before anything else, before he even reported for Dongzhou's training, he wanted to see his sister. The old master would just have to understand. Some things you just couldn't put off.

He found the restaurant Siensao had specified easily enough. It was a big place, with an air of age about it. Time's passage was plain to see in worn and rounded edges, crumbling stone, and splintering wood. Yet for all that it remained sound enough to hold off the elements and there was evidence of repairs that had been made on some portions.

To one side of the door was a large jar holding a little blueberry bush, its branches bare for the months ahead. To the other side was a sculpture of a rabbit-squirrel, looking up at him inquisitively. The detail on the piece was impressive. Above the door was an elaborately carved stone sign bearing the restaurant's name.

Jomei stood out in the rain for a long time, fear holding him prisoner as much as if he was back in chains. _If only this was something simple, like facing down the whole Fire Nation army or climbing the tallest mountain in the Earth Kingdom._

He normally didn't worry so much about his lack of people skills, but as was often the case, he only realized that it might have been a good idea to learn something when it was too late. _How do you make up for so many years gone? What do you say to a sister you've never really known?_ He didn't know and so he stood there feeling like an idiot. He couldn't summon the courage to even open the door.

It was the uncertainty that finally got him. Not knowing was worse than knowing, that much he knew. And he knew he'd never forgive himself if he didn't give this a shot. He steeled himself for the worst, opened the door, and stepped into the restaurant.

Inside, it was that quiet space between breakfast and lunch, with few customers present. The paintings on the walls, the dark wood of the beams, and the warm air drifting out from the kitchen made the place feel a bit smaller than it should have been and gave it a timeworn, homey feeling. One of the waiters met him a few steps inside.

"My apologies, sir, but it's the policy of the house to leave your weapons at the door." He nodded towards a wall where a few spears and swords were propped up or laid on a rack. Jomei frowned.

"Look, I don't want to start something, but I'm not letting this hammer out of my sight unless you can give me some damn good assurance it won't go missing," he said. "You got a chain or something I can use to lock it up?"

The man seemed relieved.

"Yes, sir, we do. We keep them in that barrel there. You can lock it and take the key with you."

Jomei nodded, pleased. He retrieved one of the short lengths of chain and locked his weapon in place around the rack. To make doubly sure of things, he ducked outside, picked up a thin piece of stone, and jammed it into the lock. Only an earthbender would be able to take it out. He still didn't feel entirely comfortable, but it was the best he could do and he'd do it for Jura's sake.

The waiter, upon learning who he was here to meet, led him to a private room in the back and slid open the thick wooden door. And standing there, looking at him with the same apprehension he knew was on his own face, was his little sister.

_Not so little anymore_ was his first thought. She wasn't the frail little girl he remembered and the way she held herself, the hard look in her eyes, told him her recovery hadn't been easy. But she was alive and it looked like she was living fairly well. And that, somehow, made all his months of slaving in the mines worth it, because his hopes hadn't just been another dream. Something had gone right in the world for once. A little smile softened his face. For one shining moment, she returned it. And Jomei was happy. His first instinct was to step forward and catch her in a hug. But it died before he made a single move. She was just...too different. He didn't know her, this _woman_ in front of him. There were traces of the little girl in his memories in her, but only that All his happiness and hope shuddered and faded away and he was standing in the room with a stranger.

"Hey," he said weakly, taking off his hat and holding it in front of him with both hands. He felt more awkward than he ever had when trying to learn precision earthbending. "So...you're Jura, right?"

"Yes, that's me," she said, sounding just as hesitant as him. "And you're Jomei."

"Yeah."

"So...well, come in, come in! No sense in you standing around out in the hall." He stepped inside and sat down across the table from her, putting his hat beside him. For a long moment, neither of them said anything and the tension became unbearable. Jomei was bursting with things to say but he didn't know where to begin. For her part, Jura knew exactly what she wanted to say, what she needed to say...but she couldn't hurt him like that. It was Jomei who broke the silence.

"It's good to see you," he said. If there was one thing he wanted to tell her, that was it. "You don't know how glad I am to see that you're okay. It's been so long..." He trailed off, knowing what she must be thinking. "Ah, dammit, I'm sorry, Jura, you have to believe me, I'm so sorry, I wanted to look for you, I really did but..." He cut himself off. "Never mind. It's all just excuses. That's what I am, an excuse for a brother. That's all. You must be furious with me, with all the village."

"Jomei," she said quietly, and he braced himself. "I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago. I couldn't have lived with that kind of resentment all these years. I had to let go."

"You're not angry?" Jomei whispered, unable to believe how lucky he was.

"No," she said, shaking her head. She hesitated, looking to one side "But...I don't love you either. I can't love or hate a memory." That simple statement was more painful than all the months Jomei had spent in chains. He slumped against the wall, feeling like he'd just received a boulder to the ribcage.

Jura studiously avoided looking him in the face, and Jomei tried to pull himself together. "But..." he managed at last. "you know me...you're my sister. I'm not a memory, I'm here, now! I love you..."

She shook her head gently, finally meeting his eyes.

"No...you love a memory. But she's gone. She's been gone for a long time. I'm all that's left." Her expression changed, intent, almost desperate. "But maybe...maybe we can start again. Siensao told me about this quest of yours." She hesitated a moment, building up courage. "I want you to forget about it! I want you to stay here with me! Or maybe we can go somewhere else, far away, I don't care! I just don't want to lose you again."

Jomei stared, dumbstruck. It was everything he'd wanted about his sister...and it was just what he couldn't do.

"I can't," he said absently. "They've taken our home. I've got to kill them, free Teoro, stop the Fire Nation." He was getting stronger even as he spoke, passion returning to his words. "Don't you see, we can't go home until that happens! They all need to die! All of them! You weren't there, thank the spirits, you don't know what they _did!_ What they're still doing! How can you even think about just _letting it happen?_ We can't be a family again until we're safe from the Fire Nation!"

Jura went rigid, anger glinting in her eyes. "You think I don't care about Teoro? I do! If I had been in your position, maybe I would have done the same thing you did! But we're here, and Teoro is conquered, and we can't help its people by going off on a suicide mission! This quest of yours is just a disaster waiting to happen, it'll be the death of you, for good this time! If you want to fight the Fire Nation, then fine, join the army! I could live with that! But I can't let you throw your life away for something that was lost a long time ago! It doesn't matter! What does one village matter when the whole Earth Kingdom is at stake?"

"It's my home," Jomei said. His anger had momentarily vanished in amazement. "And it's your home too. I...you don't understand that?"

Tears began trickling down Jura's face.

"I had to let go of everything, Jomei, or I would have died. It hurts too much to think of Teoro. There's so much evil in the world...it hurts too much to think of a lot of things, but that one's at the top of the list. All I can do is protect what remains...like you...and Omashu. This city is my home now. That's just how it is. I am so...so sorry. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's the truth. And the truth hurts. It's hope for the future, not an obsession with the past, that's kept me going. I hoped you'd see that."

Jomei, to his horror, felt tears gathering in his own eyes.

"Yeah," he said. _I know what she means...but I can't accept that. I can't let all my suffering and work be for nothing! Teoro has to be free, or my life has no meaning._ "I guess so. Look...I don't want anything more than to stay with you and try to get to know my sister again. In a better world, maybe I could. But this is a war, and I've got to keep fighting. I have to fight the way I think is right. I have to leave. But when I come back, I promise we'll make things right, together. I keep my promises."

Jura smiled, a sad little smile through her tears.

"I remember that," she said, looking at something far away. "I don't remember much, but I remember that. You worked so hard to do prove you could do what you said you could. It's one of the things I loved most about you." Her gaze focused on him again, on Jomei as he was now. "You're right. I want to stop you, but I guess it's not my place to, anymore."

Jomei stood up, picking up his hat, feeling at his most wretched since he left Teoro. He searched frantically for something more to say, something that could cut through this invisible wall between them, but he could think of nothing. There was nothing more to say. There never had been. They could never have stayed together. It had all been a dream.

"From what I've seen," he said finally, "you're a good girl. I'm glad I found you. I'm glad you have your own life. It's something that went right in this damn world for once. Feels good...sort of." He slid open the door and left before he broke down and started crying like a child in front of his sister. Jura, left alone, buried her face in her hands. _I can't go with Kyuzo if he's there. And I can't tell him about us or he'll hate me. But if I don't, who will protect Kyuzo during the trip? I hate my life._ She shuddered, then took a deep breath and stopped crying. _It's okay. It'll be all right. Everything will be just fine. I know it will. I have hope._

Dongzhou took the news of a so-called secret police within the Order surprisingly well. To Siensao's mild surprise-she was having him independently investigated by two other trustworthy initiates working separately for ties to the militant faction, so the facts were never really in doubt-he had not known about it prior to her raid, which was hardly in keeping with the non-violent traditions of the Order. But he could not deny the results it had produced.

"This news is most troubling," he said. The two of them were sitting in his study once more, with Zoukani seated beside and just behind Siensao. The old soldier was listening carefully. "We cannot afford division within the Order at this critical point. Ba Sing Se is the perfect sponsor for them and that fact alone implies that at least some of the initiates within that city have made an agreement with the Grand Secretariat. This whole faction may not have been his work, but he has certainly taken advantage of it. Your actions, though, however useful, cannot simply be ignored."

"In times of war, laws fall silent," Siensao answered. "And if we do not act quickly, we will be at war with each other instead of the Fire Nation. There's no telling how much influence these people have. The process of finding them will be slow and rooting them out of Ba Sing Se will be next to impossible if the Dai Li have taken a hand."

"I would prefer to avoid more needless death," Dongzhou said, frowning. "Though their actions are inexcusable, it is your attempts to militarize some parts of the Order that has brought on this tragedy. You and your Closed Fist brethren."

Siensao remained calm, aware of the consequences if she chose the wrong words.

"We have always sought the approval of the Senior Masters and the Grand Lotus before acting. That is the sole reason we exist at all. This new faction, or at least some among them, have attempted to murder fellow initiates, which goes against everything the Order stands for just as much, if not more so, than our own philosophy. To be succinct, they struck first. When the path to the horizon takes us through Ba Sing Se, I will, of course, place myself at the disposal of the local head of the order in dealing with this problem. Unless you had something else you wished me to do?" _All or nothing, old man, your move._

Dongzhou considered the idea for a long moment.

"Actually," he said. "I will give you a chance to prove beyond all doubt that the Closed Fist are innocent in this matter, when the path takes you to Ba Sing Se. I will give you a sealed message for the local head of the Order in that city, whom I know to be trustworthy, to the effect that you are to be put in charge of hunting down these criminals. Personally, I think this faction is nothing more than a few paranoid fanatics obsessed with protecting our knowledge and remaining secret, who are manipulating honest members to send messages and spy on their fellows. Your prisoner has already indicated as much. Those who knew him never suspected him of arranging assassinations, and those who delivered messages are proving most useful in following this corruption to its root. They have not been reticent about telling us what they know."

"I concur." _As if you don't know full well that they'll be leading us to dead ends. We both know how the Dai Li work. You're laying the groundwork to send me false intelligence. And by putting me in charge, you put all the blame on me if I fail. You might not be in on this, but you're trying to use it to get rid of me. It's not that easy._ She bowed low. "Thank you, sir. You will not regret this." _At least until I actually do deal with this faction and open the door to speaking directly to the Senior Masters or maybe even the Grand Lotus._

"I regret it already," he replied. "If I thought that you were the type to fake an assassination attempt on yourself to gain support for the Closed Fist, it would be you imprisoned now."

"I do not sink to such tactics with the Order, sir."

"With the Order, yes, but with others..." He sighed. "We've had this discussion before and I have no desire to have it again. You may leave."

In the late afternoon, the four travelers met once again, as had become their habit, at the inn where Reki was staying. The swordswoman did not particularly like it, but raised no objection either. Jomei was the first to arrive.

"Hey," he said, not bothering to disguise his depression.

"What foolishness are you moping about this time?" Reki answered, obviously put off by the expression on his face.

"I talked to my sister today. You know, the one I mentioned before? She's...different than I expected. It was...enlightening." He chuckled somewhat ruefully, remembering Jura's blunt honesty. "You'd like her, she gave me the same advice you did about staying here. I honestly considered it."

"So when I give you intelligent advice, you can safely ignore it, but when someone you've known for less than a day gives it to you, you have to consider it before rejecting it anyway. I do not understand your reasoning."

Jomei frowned.

"She's family. It's different. It's not like that where you come from?"

"Just because she is family does not mean anything," Reki murmured. "Excesses should not simply be forgiven because of who someone is related to nor should successes be rewarded."

Jomei looked thoughtful.

"So, that's how it's done in the desert?"

"It is not. We are subject to the same sentimentalism as you regarding blood relatives."

By now Jomei almost enjoyed their back-and-forth bantering. He was starting to learn how to phrase his questions so as not to provoke some withering comment or comeback. The retorts only had the power to singe a little nowadays.

"Okay, fine. Do you want to meet her before I leave? She's a good girl, and she's made her own life in Omashu. Not that I like the idea of you staying here, of course, but it's just a thought I had."

"That would not be wise."

Before Jomei could ask why, Siensao and Zoukani entered the inn, followed by Kei Dao. The merchant spoke briefly to the two men, who then moved off and seated themselves at a table on the other side of the room. Obviously she didn't want the assassin listening in on their conversation.

"May I join you?" she asked.

"You don't have to keep asking that, you know," Jomei said. "You're welcome any time as far as I'm concerned."

"You may," Reki said. Siensao sat down with her back to Zoukani and Kei Dao.

"I should warn you that I think Kei Dao can read lips, so don't let him see you speak unless it's something you don't mind having overheard," she said.

Jomei promptly moved his chair to put his own back to the assassin. Reki remained where she was, with her back to the wall.

"So," the merchant said, "We'll be going through with that...transaction I talked to you about earlier and leaving tomorrow. It saddens me that I won't be able to learn any more from you. Our lessons were just starting to get interesting."

"In fact," Reki replied, "I must leave Omashu as well."

"What?" Jomei blurted out, excited. "Why? Does this mean you've decided to come with us?"

"Hardly. It means that I cannot escape my past, as I expected. An old enemy seeks my death and will set the city upon me if I do not face her. I will kill her tomorrow, but more will come. I am sure she was not so foolish to come without companions to carry back word. I have no interest in staying here and facing challenger after challenger, so I am leaving."

"Well, not that I'm complaining, but if you're so confident about winning?" Jomei asked, "why leave?"

"As I am continually telling you, I am sick of killing people," she snapped back, sharp enough that Jomei flinched. "More than that, I am sick of this filthy city and everyone in it. Everyone here is either corrupt, decadent, greedy, violent, or some combination of the four, with no room left for virtue. There isn't enough alcohol in this city to make up for that."

"Well," Siensao said, having taken the news better, "You are certainly welcome to come with us as far as the next city."

"I will have to run much further than that to be rid of these fools. I will accompany you for as long as that takes."

Jomei couldn't help feeling overjoyed and relieved at the news, though he knew he shouldn't take pleasure in Reki's misfortunes. But this way he had another chance to save her. _This day is managing to look up after all._

Reki, of course, noticed his shift in attitude.

"Go ahead and smirk," she said. "It offends me more to watch you fail to hide it. Smile at the continual torment that is the shattered remains of my life. Go on, smile."

"I smile because it means there's a chance for you to put your life back together," Jomei said. "Not because I like seeing you in pain. How can you even think that?"

"I know why you smile, that only makes it worse!" She calmed herself with an effort. "Enough of this. Have you anything else of importance to say?" That was her usual method of saying that she didn't want to talk anymore.

"Does this mean you don't have to tell me about your past anymore?"

"It does not," Reki said. "I will not let this farce go on any longer."

"Can we at least put it off until tomorrow? I'd like one last peaceful evening."

"That is what I had in mind. You may join Siensao in accompanying me to the duel. As my student, she is the closest acceptable substitute for a witness. And my opponent can explain about me to you much better than I can."

"Uh...sure, I'd be honored," Jome said, startled.

"Good. You should be."

"In that case, opinion is unanimous," Siensao said dryly. "We'll have more than enough trouble tomorrow."

"By the way," Jomei said to her. "I've been thinking and I have a question: if you thought that Jura was the kind of person that could convince me to stay, would you still have told me about her?"

Siensao smiled.

"My, you are learning fast. You even picked a good time to ask, Reki would catch me in a lie if I tried one. No, of course not. It would only have distracted you. I've searched too long for a suitable earthbender to let you go your own way like that, putting aside the fact that you gave me your word, there's little point in holding someone to a promise they've lost heart in. Now answer me this: if she had been that sort of person and I had told you about her anyway, would you have kept your promise?"

"I'd have kept it," Jomei said, stung by her lack of trust. "You know that."

"Yes, of course. Forgive me, Jomei, but an honest man is rarer than ostrich-horse teeth, as the saying goes. I can't assume anything. I hope you understand."

"Yeah, I understand. I'm just kind of disappointed, I mean, you've done so much for me. I know you told me at the beginning it was for your own interests, but...I just kind of hoped it was different."

"That's a good thing, Jomei," Siensao said gently. "The Earth Kingdom needs people like you. But it also needs people like me, Reki, and sometimes even Kei Dao...to protect people like you."


	10. Sacrifices To Honor

A/N: This is a two-part update! Originally, this was all one chapter, but due to length, it's been split in two. Massive thanks as always to Sylvacoer, my esteemed editor, and to all my readers. You know who you are. This concludes the Omashu Arc. Enjoy the show.

* * *

It was a cold gray day in Omashu. Cold, gray, and deathly quiet. The first snow of the season drifted gently down upon the city, its flakes coating everything in layer upon layer of blinding white. It drifted and swirled with the cold knives of the wind, blowing into drifts that would become banks, piling up on abandoned streets and making the less fortunate shiver and curse the winter even as they wondered at the silence.

The silence was the most prominent feature of winter; it always had been. So strange, that so much snow and ice could come to Omashu in such utter stillness. More than that: it seemed to deaden all sound, reducing any speech to quiet murmuring and inducing many to remain indoors, leaving the streets to the quiet. Smoke rose from hundreds of chimneys, and every piece of scrap wood had vanished from the streets. The wind was deathly cold, but also crisp, clean, seeming to scour the world before it as it bit fiercely at any unlucky soul caught without protection. Though the earthbending academy was kept warm, some of those inside were still burying their hearts in ice and stone, becoming as grim as the high mountains that surrounded Omashu. They were preparing for war.

Jomei was packing up his few belongings. Food, water, the few coins he had left from his work running the mail system that hadn't gone to repay Siensao for the trip here. He'd kept track. He paused a moment when he came to the glowcrystal he'd brought with him from Teoro, one of three things he carried from when the village was free. In that tiny green light, he saw all that he had been, fading away. Shaking off the odd trance, he tucked it into a deep pocket instead of returning it to his straw hat. He wouldn't need it where he was going. He pulled on the heavy winter cloak he'd bought here, set his hat on his head, then considered his warhammer.

Sometimes it seemed like he could feel Hanhei's spirit trapped within the cold metal, writhing under his fingers. Perhaps he imagined the distant screaming. He hoped so. He nodded once, slowly. _You might not do much for me, Grandad, but you'll do this. You'll help me fight._ He shouldered the hammer and left his room as bare as he'd found it.

Reki prepared for battle, as she had before, too many times to remember. Three more layers of bandages around each of her four limbs, to cushion blows and to provide some measure of stability should any of the bones break. Another layer around the head, from the crown to her eyebrows, for much the same reason, and one went like a scarf around her neck, where it could be pulled up to block out sand and grit. Her growing hair, gathered into a short stub of a scorpion-tail, poked out at the base of her neck. With two fingers, she outlined her eyes in black kohl. Sitting down cross-legged, she laid her gleaming sword across her lap, closed her eyes, and waited. In the dark corners of her mind, a familiar presence whispered dark truths, unspeakable evil, and memories of Karida that she had forgotten. Reki did not want to remember. But a warrior most know both themselves and the enemy.

_You know what I want to know. Tell me._

Amused laughter answered her.

_Of course I will. It was one of my better works. Those scars go all the way down, if you know what I mean._

A torrent of memories flooded Reki's mind, awful, evil visions of Karida, drenched in blood, begging, pleading for death, and her own hands, holding a dripping knife, and mad laughter, the voice that haunted her nightmares. Outwardly, Reki merely shivered. No one would have guessed what was going on in her head. That was as she preferred it.

Siensao had already gotten packed and was spending her morning in speaking to those who mattered. Zoukani was, as always, present at her side.

Kyuzo had resumed making bombs with redoubled enthusiasm, delighting his jailers. If he kept going at this rate, he'd have two bandoliers' worth finished by the end of the day. He also worked on a few 'special' projects whenever the guards, who were getting more lax around him each day, changed shifts, withdrawing down the hall to trade news of what was going on in the outside world and lament their fate, being stuck down in this prison, hours at a time (Kyuzo found it hard to sympathize.)

Jura put the finishing touches on a little sculpture, then set a sealed scroll on her bed. The characters on the surface read _To be opened if I do not return._

With slow, deliberate actions, all of them prepared for war, in their own way. Some rationalized, some reflected, and some buried themselves in work, but they prepared, knowing that all of it would never be enough.

Jomei knocked at Reki's door, feeling more anxious than usual. He knew that she would win the fight, that was never in doubt. And she'd said she'd come with their little group on their journey. He both had to know and dreaded whatever Reki was about to tell him, as much at her own insistence as his. Jomei was beginning to think the woman had never experienced a happy day in her life.

"The past was past," he always told himself, but that didn't mean it didn't leave scars, scars he had to deal with. _And here I thought it was hard facing Jura. Come on, I can do this._ He knocked on the door.

"Come in," she answered shortly.

He opened the door and stepped in, stopping short upon seeing her. She was sitting facing the door, decked out in war paint and with her sword near to hand. _I feel sorry for whatever damned fool gets to fight her._

"We'll be leaving soon enough," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you were ready."

Reki stood up and sheathed her sword. Her fixed stare was unnerving as always, but somehow, she seemed different. Less lethargic, more active, more...dangerous. It might have just been because she'd drunk much less than usual last night, but he doubted that. Something was driving her.

"Yes," she said. "Are you?"

Jomei shrugged.

"Probably not, but I'm going anyway." He sighed. "At least this whole thing will be over. That'll be a relief."

"On that we agree. Also, I...thank you for not pressing me on the matter. It was foolish of you, but it has been..." She looked away, seeming deeply ashamed as she searched for a word. So softly he could barely hear her, she finished, "...nice."

Jomei didn't try to argue that she shouldn't tell him this time. He felt incredibly awkward, his cheeks heating up, and muttered without thinking, "Well, if anybody deserves something nice, it'd be you, you know."

The silence stretched on for far too long, with Reki's gaze glued to the floor and Jomei examining the ceiling intensely. Jomei finally spoke up again.

"So!" he said, much louder than necessary, "I actually do have one thing I'm confused about: if you're so set on not killing people anymore, why fight at all?"

Reki's green eyes flashed fire but her voice was colder than the falling snows outside.

"She insulted my brother."

A snippet of conversation ran through Jomei's mind. _Insult my brother again and I will kill you where you stand!_ He looked at this dangerous, incomprehensible woman, and actually thought about questioning her, then paused. _Think you'd keep your cool if someone said something nasty about your little sibling_? It was odd, finding common ground with Reki, of all people, on this point. It was almost a relief that Reki's issue with the woman was so straightforward.

"If that's how it is, that's how it is."

"My thanks for understanding. Since I cannot say this later, I will say it now."

She held out her hand, which Jomei accepted hesitantly. Her grip was as strong as ever. _Since there's a good chance most of us are going to die today, I'll leave it up to destiny to decide what he will find out later_.

"Yeah," he said, "thanks. Same to you, I guess." He turned and opened the door, nearly running into a servant who was waiting outside.

"Ah, excuse me, sir," the man said to him, bowing, "but Master Dongzhou wishes to speak to you in private."

Jomei swore under his breath and turned to Reki.

"I'll try to make this quick. Will you wait?"

"If it truly does wind up being quick," she answered, "then yes."

He smiled grimly.

"Then there won't be any problem. I'm in no mood to deal with more cryptic junk." He turned back to the servant. "Lead the way, then." _What does the old bastard want now? If he thinks he can con me into something by catching me alone, he's dead wrong._

* * *

In the depths of the Shitou Zhi Earthbending Academy, there was a storeroom that had been unused for years. It was hot and stifling, due to the lack of air vents, dark, because there were no glowcrystals, and, save for a thick layer of dirt and grime, it had been empty until recently. As a storeroom it was...less than ideal. But as a prison, as a place to drive men mad in, it excelled. And that was what it was being used for.

The lone prisoner was sitting in a corner, legs gracelessly sprawled across the floor, head lolling. He did not expect rescue. But nonetheless, he heard the sound of a brief scuffle outside, followed by two loud thumps. The bodies of his guards hitting the floor, no doubt. Tumblers moved, the lock clicked, and the thick wooden door swung open, letting in the relatively blinding light of the corridor outside.

A single figure stood there, the brilliant light turning them into a black silhouette. The prisoner could see nothing of the intruder's features. But, squinting through eyes welling with tears, he saw a dagger in its hand and knew his time had come. He closed his eyes and straightened up as best he could.

"Kill me quickly," he rasped. The intruder chuckled, sounding very familiar.

"Now why would I ever do a thing like that?" Kei Dao asked, all feigned innocence and smiles. "I'm not being paid to kill you. I'm here to make you talk. You know how I love to talk, and enjoying your work is good for the soul."

The prisoner opened his eyes, squinting still.

"Who is your master now? Which side are you on?"

Another person stepped into the cell. He heard the rapping of a wooden staff on the floor.

"Surely you've guessed by now," Siensao said, a glacial smile on her face, "that the only side Kei Dao is on is his own. Right now, our goals are simply aligned. And for that matter, he isn't the one who's going to make you talk. I am. And then you're going to kill yourself."

"Whatever you have to say to me, make it quick and obvious," Jomei said. "I'm no good at riddles. Just tell me what you want from me."

Dongzhou looked at the miner from behind his desk. They were once again in the old master's underground office.

"I wanted to speak to you about your future with the Order. As a master of the White Lotus, it's my duty to cultivate all possible resources, however unlikely. I know you don't wish to join us at this point, but someday you might. If and when that day arrives, though, you will be influenced by your choice of friends. Siensao is not the kind of friend you should have if you wish to get anything accomplished with the Order's resources. I would like to explain why. Will you listen?"

Jomei nodded cautiously.

"As long as you don't start laying on the gossip, sure, I'll listen. But don't expect me to take sides in your little games either."

"Then maybe this will change your mind. Ignorance can no longer defend you in the circles that you now move in, whether you want to or not."

"If he's on his own side," the prisoner said, "then which side are you on, Siensao?" His eyes had fully adjusted to the light by now and he looked at the merchant with open contempt. The two of them were sitting very rigidly on stools 'appropriated' from the guards. Her unusual height made it impossible for him to look down at her, though.

"The side of justice and peace, of course," she answered smoothly, "and thus of the Order, whether or not they know it."

Kei Dao rolled his eyes from his position behind her, raising both hands in a gesture of helplessness.

"Your opinion is not required, Kei Dao," she said without turning around and never losing her polite mask. "Please refrain from mocking my ideals when I do not criticize yours, or rather, the lack thereof. I am attempting to have a civilized conversation."

"Your methods of obtaining peace and justice are not what some would call civilized," the prisoner noted. "I would have thought you of all people would know where this path leads."

"Oh, the sand calls the stone a little rough, does it? I don't have to justify myself to you, so I'd as soon not waste words and time on pointing out what you already know: namely, I do know where can lead and am going another way."

"In other words," Kei Dao put in, grinning, "nobody cares, so suck it."

Siensao's polite smile grew a little mischievous.

"Quite so."

She leaned forward, lowering her voice. There was a deepening darkness in her look, the mask being put aside to show a coldness worthy of the arctic winter.

"I'll give you one chance to cooperate," she said, laying a hand on the prisoner's shoulder. He shifted uncomfortably, then winced as her fingers tightened their grip, long nails digging into his skin through the threadbare shirt. "One chance for life. Give me names. Tell me who you are and where you're hiding."

"They call themselves the Closed Fist," Dongzhou said, "and they exist to turn the Order of the White Lotus into soldiers, spies, and assassins to be directed against the Fire Nation."

Jomei considered the idea, then raised an eyebrow.

"What, that's a bad thing?"

Dongzhou's scowl deepened and his voice grew stern.

"It is not the purpose of the Order. We are devoted to knowledge, wisdom, beauty, and truth in all its forms, to their protection and nurturing. Each of our initiates represents untold potential and wisdom, each person we take under our care, we have a duty to protect, each book and scroll we possess is a treasure beyond imagination, each tradition we preserve is a stone in the foundation of the balance!" Dongzhou was getting more animated, belief infusing his voice and a light growing in his eyes. Jomei recognized that look. It was the same way he felt when talking about the Fire Nation. Dongzhou believed in what he was saying. But so did Jomei. _Too bad, old man - I just happen to think my people are a little more important than a scroll written by someone who's been dead for centuries_.

"If we abandon all of that to fight and die in a losing war and in doing so, lose everything we have protected, if we prove, in the end, to be no better than the people we strive to enlighten and teach, then what did we save it all for?"

"You'll have a pile of ashes left to protect if the Fire Nation wins," Jomei said, starting to get louder himself, hands clenching into fists. "If you won't knuckle down and fight when everything you've worked for is at stake, then you just saved it until now so you could watch it all burn!"

A tense silence followed before the old master spoke again.

"Even if you accept that argument, we cannot make a difference militarily speaking," Dongzhou said, calmer now. "If we called all the initiates of the world together, we would be straws in the wind against the Fire Army. We might win one battle, or even a few opening battles, but sooner or later we would die, just as the Earth Army is dying. And to become spies, assassins? It would be evil to force our people into such roles. It is not what we told people our purpose was when they joined our ranks. They _believed_ and still believe that we are above all else, a peaceful order."

"Yeah, and that worked out real well for the airbenders," Jomei observed acidly. "That's what being peaceful gets you during a war."

"The Air Nomads were an open society. We are hidden for our own protection."

"The Fire Nation will find you, sooner or later. You can't hide forever."

"What makes you think we're hiding, that we're not recognized?" the prisoner asked. "For all you know, the Senior Masters sanction the elimination of war-mongers."

"First," Siensao said, "they don't. We've met. Second, I don't appreciate slander. And third, you just lost your chance. Now we do this the hard way."

The prisoner steeled himself.

"I can handle whatever excuse for torture you can think up."

"Ooh, can I prove him wrong?" Kei Dao asked eagerly. "I brought my little black bag, you know, just in case.

"Torture? Please. In this case, I have no need for that. It's as I said: I'll talk to you, you'll tell me everything I want to know, and then you'll kill yourself. I never said any of that would be voluntary."

"What are you talking about?" A trickle of sweat worked its way down the prisoner's neck, and it was not the heat of the storeroom that made him nervous.

"Rather than tell you, I'll show you." _If Kei Dao's information is accurate, this will be brilliant. If not, it will be a spectacular failure. Here goes nothing._

"Zao Wong," Siensao said, using the name the prisoner had been called when in the service of the Order, "the Senior Masters have invited you to Ba Sing Se University."

For one terrifying moment, nothing happened, and Siensao's heart stopped. Then Wong's eyes glazed over and he answered in a monotone.

"I am honored to accept their invitation."

Kei Dao and the merchant simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, then glanced at each other in confusion.

"I'm surprised that worked, actually," the assassin admitted. "Torture doesn't always work, so I couldn't be absolutely sure I got the right code phrase. I should really trust myself more."

Siensao, for her part, forced herself to feel no joy at all. Satisfaction, though, that she felt plenty of. She had worked a long time for this moment and intended to put it to good use. _They couldn't hide forever._

"All right, enough about Siensao," Dongzhou said. "Let's talk about you. You could go far in the Order, but you've said you intend to have as little to do with us as possible. Aside from our peaceful nature, why?"

"I'm no scholar."

"Of course you are. You're a scholar of earthbending, mining, and now of war and philosophy. But you're studying all of that because you have to, not because you want to. You have no urge to read what the great men and women of history had to say. The wisdom of the ages is yours to peruse, but you turn away. Why?"

Jomei's brow wrinkled in a deepening frown.

"First, I haven't got the time. Second, even if I did, I'd spend it doing real work. Reading scrolls won't beat the Fire Nation. If I want to learn wisdom I'd as soon learn it from Reki, thanks. She knows the world better than anyone else I've met."

"And she became that way by learning from those who had come before. The Si Wong has a much stronger oral tradition, but the result is the same as if they read. The great generals of history always read what their ancestors had written. You cannot rely only upon one person, Jomei, and you'll have plenty of time while you're on the path to study. So why not take advantage of what we have to offer? There is no price, if that's what you're worried about. Knowledge belongs to everyone."

Jomei hesitated this time.

"It's not...real," he said quietly, thinking hard. "I mean to say...what's written in books. It's just ink on paper. I don't learn that way. I learn the best from people, by working and learning alongside them. That's real. I can see how they do what they do and try it myself. If I read what some old earthbending master wrote, how am I to know all the little things they put into their work that made it work? Working with you, now, you always explained everything until I got it. That works. That's learning wisdom, if you want to call it that. Books and scrolls are all right for people who like to try and prepare for everything. Real world learning is for people who don't need to dredge up some old story to handle a situation, people who can think on the run and do what works now, not what worked then. Now, I think we've talked enough. Reki and Siensao are waiting for me."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Dongzhou said with a sigh. "But I just thought you should know the facts of the situation. I hope you'll feel differently after working with Siensao for a while and studying with your instructors. In the meantime, here." He held out a scroll. "This is a copy of the definitive work on earthbending harmony with the other elements. You'll find that it will come in handy throughout your journey. Good luck."

Jomei accepted the scroll and bowed slightly. _He's an old bastard, a coward who'd let the Fire Nation win, and he'd love to kick Siensao out of his club, but he's a decent teacher and cares about his students. I owe him for the instruction and helping with Grandad._

"Yeah," he said, "you too. It's been...a learning experience."

Siensao let the door to the storeroom swing shut again, then leaned back against it, drawing a hand across her brow. It came away damp with sweat. The session had been brutal, for whoever had given the prisoner orders and instructions, they'd been very specific and very good when it came to interrogation. She had to go slowly and unravel layer after layer of commands that led to him killing himself before she'd gotten what she wanted, sometimes realizing a mistake only just in time. Kei Dao had stayed silent, whether through awe or indifference. And now it was over. Behind this door, a man was drowning in his own blood and letting it happen. This was her victory. She hated it as much as ever, which, paradoxically, was a relief. It meant she still had some shred of morality. That she still walked in the twilight and not in the shadow.

"That was very educational," Kei Dao remarked casually. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"You hate the Black Lotus as much as I do," she replied. "It's to my advantage for you to know more about them."

"So it is. And actually, there's one more favor I'd like to ask of you." His expression, for once, became serious and threatening. "Tell me how you found out about Min Liu and swear never to act against any of them. Or I may decide that the contract I took with Karida needs to be fulfilled after all."

""I would never kill them. You know that."

"You can do much harm without killing, no one knows that better than me."

She shrugged.

"Nonetheless, you made a bad bargain. Knowing will not help you. But you have my word. Min Liu's mother was told, and that woman's sister was then told, and that sister's daughter was then told. That daughter is a good friend and when she heard I had met you, told me. That's how I know."

Kei Dao's eyes went wide.

"You're friends with-"

"Yes." Siensao interrupting someone was so rare that Kei Dao had to think back on it to make sure he'd heard such a thing.

"So then-"

"Yes. As I said, knowing will not help you."

"Oh...I disagree. It just might. Thank you. The duel will proceed as it should. Now then, we really should be off before the guards wake up."

Jomei was both pleased and annoyed. He had just met Siensao and Zoukani, which was good, but Kei Dao was with them, which was bad.

"And where have you been?" he asked the assassin sourly, "killing someone's grandmother so they won't be on duty at the prison tonight?"

"Actually," Kei Dao answered, cheerful as always, "I was at my dancing lessons. You're welcome to come along this afternoon. I should warn you though, I look damn good in a dress."

"Yeah, sure," Jomei muttered, then fell in alongside Siensao. "So you're ready to leave?" he asked the merchant.

She nodded.

"We're just on our way now."

"Well, before all this gets started, I have something for you." He dug into a pocket, searching for something.

"Really? I like presents. What is it?"

Jomei came up with a small circle of brass, handing it over to her. It was engraved with the characters that spelled Siensao's name.

"Since you've been learning whatever I know about mining, I had this made. We call it a check, since you check it in with somebody to exchange for tools, like a glowcrystal and pick. This way we can keep track of who's down in the mine at any time. Show that at any mine in the south and you'll get work, if you can persuade them you can do it. Probably useless, but it's all I've got."

Siensao carefully put the check away, giving him a warm smile.

"Thank you very much. I'm sure I'll find a use for it. It's been interesting to be your student instead of the other way around. If you want my honest opinion, you're a better teacher than a student. Who knows? Perhaps you'll be running this academy one day."

Jomei waved his hand dismissively, ignoring the wink Zoukani was giving him from behind Siensao's back. Kei Dao had seen it and was grinning like a fool.

"Ah, it's just a trinket, that's all. You've done a lot for me, I might as well do something for you. If you want my honest opinion...I have a hard time telling if you mean it when you say thanks."

Siensao didn't take offense.

"I know. And actually...I got something for you as well." She reached into one sleeve and produced a small scroll.

"I stopped by Iseul's place yesterday and picked this up. It's a basic treatise on how to deal with spirits. Before you ask, it cost one gold piece. You don't have to pay this one back, I bought it for my own benefit as well as yours."

"Yeah, I know," Jomei muttered, taking the scroll. They both knew he'd start working towards paying it back anyway. _Twenty days work, if I'm not lucky and I never am. But at least I can see about getting some help out of Grandad._ "Thanks, though."

At that point, they reached the entrance to the academy to find Reki waiting there for them.

"It is time," the tribeswoman said. "Are you ready?"


	11. New Scars And Old

A/N: Part 2 of this update. The little omake at the end is a new thing I'm trying out. I'm totally stealing it from Sylvacoer's work, _Tales of the Spirit World_. If you want to see it done better, or see a good story in general, check it out.

* * *

The granary that Karida had chosen as the dueling ground was a vast, empty building. The roof was still sound, allowing no light or wind in and there were no windows. The only door was shut, but could be seen by the faint cracks of light that lined its frame. The greater part of the light came from glowcrystal torches. They were mounted on thick wooden columns, rows and rows of them that ran the length and breadth of the place, supporting a network of rafters.

Empty sacks and crates were scattered around, along with a fine brown dust that smelled of wheat. The old timbers creaked and groaned with the wind, but the air inside was thick and stagnant and bone-chilling cold.

The door swung open with a creaking sound, revealing Reki, Jomei, Siensao, and Zoukani, lightly dusted with snow. Kei Dao had slipped away at some point during their trip here.

Karida stood in the center of the granary, flanked by four men, all but one of whom were wearing swords. All of them were dressed like Reki. Jomei glared at the unarmed man: he had to be a sandbender_. Good. Means no matter what Reki thinks, there's someone here for me to deal with_.

"I am here," Reki said, stepping out in front of the others.

"I've been waiting," Karida answered. "Come in. I see you brought others. I wouldn't have thought you had a friend in the world."

"I do not," Reki answered, walking into the building at a slow, unhurried pace. "They came to bear witness." She came to a halt about twenty paces from Karida. Jomei swung the door shut again, grateful to get out of the freezing wind. All of them were leaving a trail of water wherever they went as the snow melted.

Karida stared at each of them in turn, her eyes narrowing at Siensao.

"I'd heard you'd taken another student," she said, her voice growing dangerously soft. "I wasn't good enough for you, is that it? After all the effort you put into my instruction? And she's willing to learn from a person like you willingly? She's either a fool or a madwoman."

"Do not be resentful of another's poor choice or my whims," Reki chided calmly.

"I'm not," Karida said, shaking her head. "It just seems so unlike you. But I'm sure there's an angle I'm not seeing." She glanced at Jomei briefly. "He really doesn't know who you are?" She chuckled. "Oh, that is rich. And you never told him? Would you like me to?"

Reki nodded.

"If you wish to rant about how terrible I am and how your revenge is completely justified and your goal is noble, do it to him, not me. I have no desire to listen to such things. Take your time and be descriptive. I will wait until you begin to bore me."

Karida opened her mouth, then closed it again, looking thoughtful. After a moment, she shook her head.

"No. I won't. I'm your executioner, not your herald."

Jomei shifted his feet, gripping his hammer tighter; the woman had guts, talking like that to Reki's face. Either that, or she was nuts after all. _Maybe I was wrong and Reki is normal for someone from the desert_.

Reki sighed sadly.

"What you are is a broken warrior that I created. This was the only way it could have ended between us." Her expression turned stern and her voice formal. "Karida, daughter of Fadil, daughter of Altaf, of the Azhar Tribe. Face me."She drew her sword and slowly walked forward, the blade raised.

"Reki," Karida answered, causing the other woman to pause, surprised, "daughter of no one, of no tribe and sister to _no one_. Face me." An expression of absolute fury passed over Reki's face, but she managed to regain her calm before advancing again. But, Jomei observed, for one of the few times since they had met, there was a cold light in her green eyes.

Karida drew her own sword and the other tribesmen swiftly removed themselves from the area, moving to stand close to the door, though still keeping well away from Siensao, Zoukani, and Jomei. The distance between the two women decreased with agonizing slowness. Jomei looked over at the merchant and soldier, desperate for something, anything to happen to stop this, but both of them seemed quite calm. If anything, Siensao seemed curious, while Zoukani kept glancing at the other tribesmen, both hands on his spear. He tensed, getting ready to bring his hammer up, but Zoukani caught Jomei's eye and shook his head. The miner watched, his mind fevered, sweating hard; what a time to be absolutely useless!

Reki halted about twenty paces away from Karida, waiting. The tension stretched on and on as the two of them looked into each other's eyes. Then it broke.

Karida moved first, sword rising in a low-to-high slice that ripped up a large chunk of the floor, the stone dissolving into a blast of scouring sand that tore through the air at Reki, howling like a demon. Reki was already moving, sprinting forward behind one of the stone pillars just as the sand swept by. Jomei snapped out of his paralysis, throwing up a stone wall and planting his hands against it to take the force of the blast. After it faded, he peeked out from behind one side of the wall and saw that the thick stone had been ground down to a mere handswidth. But that wasn't what mattered.

"_You cheating bitch!_" he bellowed a red haze flooding his vision as he abandoned the wall and charged at Karida. _Who uses bending in a sword fight?_ The sandbender among Karida's allies was faster. The floor under Jomei's feet dissolved into powdery sand and he sank to his ankles, stumbling but staying upright as he turned to face the new threat. Behind him, he heard Siensao and Zoukani rush forward, ready to back him up should any of the other desert people get an idea.

The sandbender didn't press the attack.

"We couldn't win any other way," he snarled, sounding both defiant and ashamed, "and the desert needs her to die!"

Karida's attack had disadvantaged her: she had no idea where Reki was as the dust cloud thinned. Reki darted from cover, swift as an arrow. Karida, hearing the rustle of clothes and slap of footsteps on stone, whirled, parried Reki's blow, and the duel began in earnest, blades flickering in the green light. Reki was at the best Jomei had ever seen her, like lightning among the mountains. Step by step, she was driving Karida back, and it was only a matter of time before the other woman made a mistake.

Karida was bending even as she moved, though, sand flowing up her body to encase her in some kind of sand armor Jomei didn't even know was possible. And yet she still moved as fast as she had before, maybe even faster.

Reki's next attack seemed like a mistake, for the blade only sank partway through the sand armor at Karida's shoulder and then became stuck. Karida's sword flashed forward for a killing blow, but Reki used her trapped sword as leverage, sliding under one arm, planting one foot under her opponent's leg and shoving the other woman off her feet. Karida's concentration broke, enough to let Reki yank her sword free. The sharp metal edge descended in a stabbing, two-handed thrust. This time she got through and blood blossomed amidst the sand for a moment before Karida could seal the breach and knock Reki's sword away.

Jomei, still mired in sand, could not help but be impressed. _Looks like Siensao's got a long way to go if she wants to match Reki's last student!_

Karida sprang to her feet, turning to face Reki again, just in time to catch a spray of sand in her face, courtesy of Reki's foot. Karida didn't even bother to raise a hand to block, doubtless she had bent it away from her eyes, but in the split second when she was focusing on that, Reki kicked high, crunching the bridge of Karida's nose under her foot and knocking the woman off her feet.

Karida's fall became a controlled tumble, and she leapt to her feet, recovering just in time to ward off Reki's pursuing blow. Steel rang on steel as the swords met again and again. This time, though, it was Reki who was retreating steadily, back around one of the pillars.

"Here they come", Siensao muttered, jerking Jomei's attention away from Reki's duel. The other Si Wong warriors, clearly intent on eliminating Reki's 'witnesses' were moving toward them with drawn swords. "Stay here," she said, stepping in front of Jomei, Zoukani following her lead. "Two against four is fair, but only just. For them."

Before Jomei could argue with the error in her accounting, the pair charged the enemy line. Zoukani knocked aside the first swordsman's thrust with the brace just below the head of his spear, advanced, then slammed the haft of the spear into the man's crotch as he stumbled forward, tripping on Zoukani's foot. The tribesman hit the ground hard, and only barely managed to roll out of the way of the thrust that would have pierced his heart. Siensao, not to be outdone, lashed out with her staff, cracking one of the remaining swordsmen on the wrist before he could close the distance.

"Hey!" Jomei, still mired in sand, shouted, startled. "The sandbender's mine!"

Siensao, ducking a wild swing, glanced back at him. "As you wish. Just don't die, I'd hate to have wasted my investment."

Cursing under his breath, Jomei strained to get to firm ground, only to step further and further into sand. "Quit cheating and fight me fair!" he demanded of the sandbender, who stood off to one side, ignoring the duels around him to watch Jomei's struggle. "You're going to collapse the building on all of us if you don't stop this pig-chickenshit!"

The sandbender hesitated, then shrugged. "So be it."

"You son of a…!" With a roar, Jomei flung his hand back, snatching whatever solid stone his bending could reach and hurled it at him.

The sandbender reduced the door-sized slab to pebbles and dust with a single thrust of his open hand. Overhead, one of the rafters snapped, showering them with debris.

"Seems to me you're doing as much damage to it as we are, earthbender." He swept both hands down, plunging Jomei down further into the sand.

_'Find some solid earth, find _something_!' _Jomei's mind screamed as he fought back against the sand and his rising panic

Out of sight of the others, Reki turned retreat into headlong flight, sprinting back around another pillar, Karida pursuing. As Karida rounded the pillar, she received the barest instant of warning before Reki's sword flashed down from overhead. She twisted away slightly, just enough, so instead of stabbing in through her eye, the razor edge slid along her nose and cheek. Reki had been hanging from the glowcrystal torch. _Missed!_ Reki hissed inwardly, annoyed with herself, as blood flooded over Karida's face, the woman whirling away to, trying gain some space and time to recover control of her armor. Reki leapt down after her half-blinded opponent, resuming the attack.

Jomei, knee-deep in the sand and getting deeper, cracked a great slab of rock free from the floor behind the sandbender, straining to turn it over on top of the man. Without even looking over his shoulder, his opponent snapped both arms back against the slab, shattering it. His feet shifted, widening the pool of sand around him and Jomei. Tthe dark look on the man's face told Jomei he was finally taking this fight more seriously. And now more of the roof was starting to fall in, admitting shafts of daylight and the freezing wind, which blew sand everywhere. Rafters and beams buckled one after the other, one of them slamming into the sand right next to Jomei. Seeing his chance, he heaved himself up onto it, out of the sand while his opponent's concentration was broken.

Siensao and Zoukani, a sudden curtain of falling debris cutting them off from the pair of desert warriors they had been fighting, turned without pause on the unlucky man trapped on the wrong side of the rubble. The warrior tried to fall back and circle around to rejoin his comrades, but Zoukani's spear shot out and tripped him up, sending him sprawling. Siensao's staff followed up with an overhead, two-handed strike that cracked against his head. The warrior went limp. The two of them whirled to face the remaining warriors, who charged, screaming battle cries and swearing revenge for the death of their comrade.

Karida, not bothering to pause and swipe away the blood streaming into her eye, stomped down hard, turning yet another large swath of the floor to sand, trying to sink both of them into it. Reki saw the move coming before it began and leapt to another torch, climbing into the rafters, where the shadows kept her out of sight. Karida, enraged, followed after on a column of sand, landing heavily. Hearing the lightest of footsteps behind her, she turned, the weight of her armor unbalancing her slightly on the narrow beam. Reki didn't bother with swordplay, but merely slid aside from her opening attack and rammed her shoulder against the other woman with enough force to unbalance them both, sending them tumbling off the rafters and towards the hard ground.

The women wrestled briefly in midair, Karida's sandbending-powered strength against Reki's agility and technique. Reki won, kicking away slightly, then used the momentum from the fall to aid another two-handed thrust to the thigh. This time, with the force of the impact jarring Karida's concentration again and her own force, she got through, piercing the leg completely. Instantly, the sand armor lost cohesion and blood poured from the wound. Karida screamed for the first time, a loud, piercing sound that cut through the rumble of the collapsing building and made everyone jump.

Jomei ran along the wooden beam towards the sandbender, even as the man brought his arms into the same move Karida had used to blast his rock wall. Putting every last ounce of strength he had into the attack, Jomei threw his hammer with a mighty heave that sent the weapon flying at his opponent. The sandbender contemptuously threw up one hand and a wall of sand swatted the hammer aside. Jomei pulled both hands back.

The sandbender brought his hands together for the finishing move when he sensed something and threw a quick glance behind him. He saw about a half-second of whirling steel before the hammer took his head off in a shower of blood, brains, and bone chips. Jomei nearly fumbled catching the hammer as it returned to him, feeling the cracks that now marred the thin layer of stone encasing the weapon's shaft. An old trick, and one Dongzhou had been reluctant to let him learn. Then, to his shame and surprise, he did drop the hammer, his hands shaking, staring at the bloodied head with horrified fascination. _I killed him. His head just...burst like a ripe melon. I[I just murdered a man with earthbending, what am I what am I what-NO!_ With a howl of frustration, he slapped himself, shaking off the terror that had threatened to destroy him. He snatched up the warhammer, flicking a bit of skull off it, noticing his hands had stopped shaking. _A killing blow doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to work._ _I hadn't killed him, he'd have killed me and gone on to kill Reki and everyone else!_ Through the roar of falling stone and the veil of dust and sand, he tried to find his allies again, yelling Reki's name.

Back-to-back, Siensao and Zoukani squared off against the remaining enemies. Siensao stood up on the tip of one foot, reaching out with just one hand on her staff, giving it even greater reach than usual, forcing her opponent back a step, then followed up with a thrust, feigning a stumble at the end. As the warrior batted the staff away with his sword and rushed in, Siensao reversed the weapon, the wood sliding easily under through her fingers, stabbing the opposite end into his gut. He reeled back, winded. She spared a glance to check on Zoukani...

...just in time to see the old soldier catch the flat of his opponent's blade with the middle of his spear shaft, turning it aside and shoving the man back. The Si Wong warrior, already unbalanced, had the bad luck to step through a crack in the weakened floor, he went down in a heap. Zoukani kicked his sword away before he could rise and finished the fight, with a final thrust of his spear through the man's chest. _As if I had to worry_. A noise behind her made her whip around; the man she'd downed was on his feet, hobbling for the exit.

"Zoukani!" she yelled. "Take him down!"

Zoukani hefted his spear, took an instant to judge the distance, and threw. The steel point hit perfectly, catching the fleeing warrior in the center of the back, and he dropped again. Without bothering to retrieve his spear, he drew his sword and held it in a two-handed grip before him. The two of them headed for where they'd last seen Reki.

Karida raised her good leg and slammed it down, the ground under Reki's feet crumbling into another sinkhole. It sucked her in, but Reki refused to let go of the sword, only plunging it further as she fell, twisting it in the wound. The agony nearly caused Karida to pass out, but she reached out with a shaking hand, heedless of the blade's edge, and with a convulsive shove, pushed it past the point of balance. The length of bloodied steel slid free and Reki slid down into the sand. A whole quarter of the granary had fallen in by now and more was coming down. Karida pushed herself to her knees and focused every bit of her fading will on burying her lifelong enemy so deep that she could never escape.

Reki was clawing madly, just barely keeping ahead of the flow of sand. Her sword was lost, swept away. And slowly, ever so slowly, she was climbing upwards towards Karida, who looked down at her with stark terror. Reki's face was contorted into a demon's smile and there was madness in her eyes. The torrent of sand slowed, then stopped, as Karida abandoned her efforts and tried to flee, crawling away. Reki's fingers reached up and clamped onto her ankle with the strength of one possessed. Karida screamed again and scrabbled for her dropped sword. Reki hurled herself out of the pit and got there first, snatching up the heavy blade with both hands. She was gasping for breath from the exertion and covered in sand, but she was triumphant.

It was at that moment that Jomei, Siensao, and Zoukani came upon the scene, Jomei from Reki's left, the other two from her right. Reki, oblivious to them, raised Karida's sword for the finishing blow.

"Above you!" Jomei roared in warning, and Reki threw herself to the side rather than bother to look. An instant later, one of the heavy beams crashed down where she had been standing. Getting to her feet, she looked for Karida and saw the jagged entrance of a tunnel where the tribeswoman had been. Shrieking a curse, she sprinted for the nearest wall, the other three close on her heels. Jomei knocked out a door with a single blow of his hammer and, coughing heavily, the four of them tumbled out of the building. It collapsed behind them, burying the battleground under tons of rubble. And all the while the snow continued falling, covering everything.

The renewed cold hit them like a blow, but they struggled onward until they had gotten far enough away to feel safe, in the lee of a tenement building a few streets down, away from the soldiers and watchmen who were converging on the granary. Then and only then did they stop and think. For a long while, there was silence. Jomei was the first to break it.

"You might have told us she was a sandbender."

Reki was calm again, though shivering with cold.

"I would not have agreed to fight her if I did not think I could beat any tactic she used. And if you had known, you would have tried to prevent our battle or interfere. That I could not allow."

_True enough,_ Jomei admitted, though it didn't make him approve.

"You think she's dead? She was bleeding pretty bad and that whole place is rubble now." But both of them heard how hollow he sounded.

"You do not believe that and neither do I," she answered. "She survived. And she will try again."

"We may need to move to someplace a bit more out of the way for next time," Siensao remarked. "I'd rather not draw attention to ourselves by destroying whatever poor village has the misfortune to host your next encounter." The merchant was just as cold, but she hid it better.

"We?" Reki asked, glancing her way skeptically.

Siensao shrugged.

"My apologies, I assumed you'd prefer to travel with people who will tolerate you rather than striking out alone. It would allow us to continue our lessons." A small smile crossed her face. "You have yet to teach me how to better accomplish my goals."

"I've said what I had to say about that," Jomei added, "but if it'll help, I'll say it again. I need your help."

"Even after you've seen what I turn people into? Even after you know the dangers you face just being around me?"

Jomei's reply was completely confident.

"Even now. If we can beat her and those thugs we can beat anyone else. And I still don't care what you did."

"I killed people. Hundreds. Maybe even a thousand."

Jomei looked over, his eyes widening. _How many people do you have to kill before you forget how many it was?_ Reki looked over at him, seeming very weary, much older than she was.

"Karida was right about one thing. It should fall to me to admit my own sins. I said you would know the truth about me today and you will."

"I don't need to hear it, really!"

"But I do!" Reki exclaimed, sounding almost desperate, "I need to hear it. I was wrong to think I could simply ignore what I did. Karida is the result of that. I need to remember what I must never again become."

"Might I suggest you do so in less frigid conditions?" Siensao suggested. "This really isn't the time or place for confessions."

Reki nodded slowly.

"No, it is not. And I will accompany you until our lessons are completed. I will help you, Jomei, if you are still willing after hearing what I have to say. So long as you are headed for some place very far from here," she murmured, standing up. "I think I would like Karida to have a very long road to her crown."

Back near the granary, in an abandoned alleyway between buildings, a bloody hand broke through the cold stone and the packed snow, clawing at the cloudy sky.

* * *

In the depths of the Earth Kingdom prison, Kyuzo and Jura met once more, each well aware that it might be the last time.

"So that's it," Jura said. "That's why I can't come with you like I thought."

For a brief moment, Kyuzo's face fell. Then he smiled, a bright smile that seemed to light up the iron walls around them.

"Don't worry," he said. "It'll all work out for the best. I'll show this lady around the colonies or wherever, then come back, find you again, and we'll work out what to do from there."

"How can you believe that?" she asked, as she had done many times before.

"I look around at this big, screwed-up world, and if I didn't laugh, I'd cry. So I laugh, and have hope. Even if it is a lie, it keeps me alive. So, your brother's going to keep my safe, huh? Good for him, I wish him much luck. What are you going to do while I'm gone?"

Jura's own smile was sad.

"Like you're so fond of saying...I'll think of something."

* * *

Reki and Jomei sat in her room at the inn Siensao had recommended when they first came to Omashu. It seemed a long time ago, now. She had wiped off the kohl that lined her eyes and removed her head wrappings. Now she was busy running a whetstone down her sword, working out the many nicks and scratches it had received in the battle with Karida. The regular, rasping sound suited Jomei's consternation.

"I will answer as best I can whatever questions you have about me, about the Blood Drinker," she said, not looking up or pausing in her task. "You know enough to understand the essence of both of us."

"I can see why you didn't want to tell me," he said at last. "If I was in your place...it wouldn't be something I'd want known. But there's something I don't understand. I believe what Karida said is true. But from what I've seen, you're nothing like this 'Blood Drinker' should be. Seems to me that person died a long time ago."

"She is not dead," Reki said, "she is in here, waiting." The swordswoman tapped the side of her head. "I keep her locked away for the sake of the world and for when I might need her. People change, but they only become more themselves."

"Well...even if you say she's still a part of you, _you're_ not the Blood Drinker. You said so yourself. So I'm not going to leave."

Reki scowled at him.

"You want to keep company with one of the most dangerous people in the world? You will be shunned and hunted for even associating with me. Potential allies will have nothing to do with you. I am not fit to teach you. And if the Blood Drinker returns, you will be among the first to die if you do not become like she is. Is that what you want?"

"Doesn't matter what either of us want, it's about what's needed. I need your help still and anybody who doesn't care for my friends isn't anyone I want anything to do with. And you need a friend. You're not the Blood Drinker anymore and it's not right that people don't give you a chance and you don't give _yourself_ a chance. I've had plenty of time to think about all this on the way here, and the only thing that's changed is that I get why you were being so mysterious. And now that I know...I don't care. You're my comrade. That's that."

Reki was surprised, an expression he had rarely seen on her. After a moment's hesitation, she went back to sharpening her sword, putting more pressure than before on the whetstone.

"Fine," she said coldly, "be that way. Do not expect any gratitude from me for your foolishness and I will not save you if you throw your life away like this. And you will cease interfering in my drinking habits!"

"You drink to forget," Jomei murmured. "You think you don't deserve to live because of everything you did. But then..." he raised his voice and his face grew angry. "Why do you fight so hard? You want to die? What are you waiting for?" All the thoughts he had been keeping to himself over the past week came pouring out in a great stream of angry words.

"You want to die, huh? Then what are you waiting for? You say you're a coward and afraid to die, but I think you're just fooling yourself. I think you know you deserve to live and you just don't want to face facts. You're not afraid to die. You're afraid to live. You know you'll never be able to just let yourself die, no matter how hard you try to make yourself believe that you deserve it, and that terrifies you. And that's why you keep pushing me away, you're afraid that I'll find out and you can't have that. Well guess what, it turns out I'm not as stupid as I look. I figured it out. So now what?"

Reki looked at him with an expression of deep weariness.

"Only you, Jomei, could spend so much time trying to figure out something and come up with a heartfelt, ignorant answer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jomei demanded.

"After death," Reki said, "the soul of a Si Wong tribesman faces a final challenge on its journey to the Spirit World. They must walk a narrow path, with fires burning below. If they fall, their soul will be consigned to oblivion. And if the proper rites are not performed, the shades of their dead enemies will try to hurl them from the path. I have made and killed many enemies. I cannot cross in safety to the Spirit World. I do deserve to die, but the thought of it terrifies me. There may be something to what you say...perhaps I am afraid to live as well, I have not thought about it. But that is not why I am still alive. I am not so foolish as that."

Her next words were sharp and full of venom.

"Does that answer your question, Jomei of Teoro Village?"

By this time, Jomei could endure that name without flinching, but it still hurt like a knife in his gut. _I hate this business. I've no right to ask things like this. But how else__can I convince her to live?_

"I...I don't mean to offend you or anything, honest, but...could I perform this rite, whatever it is?"

"No. It can only be done by a family member or blood brother and you are neither. To even suggest that you might serve in this manner is offensive beyond what you can comprehend, no matter that you make it out of ignorance."

She paused, just long enough for Jomei's heart to stop. Then she said softly, "However, I appreciate the offer in the spirit in which it was meant. It means more than you know."

"Uh...you're welcome, I guess," Jomei muttered, turning a little red in the face. "But if that won't work, then what about this: Stay alive...and I'll try and do enough to become a blood brother. If you still want to die then...then I'll keep away these shades."

Reki shrugged.

"You may try. _That_ is a worthy goal and one I am willing to keep you alive for. _That_ is our common ground to stand upon. For death, I will tolerate a great deal."

"Then will you come with us on the prison raid tonight? I'll be there."

"There is no need. I have already discussed your plans with Siensao and they call for no killing. My skills are not needed. The plan should succeed."

"All right. If you think it should, then it should. I have to go and talk with the others again, but I'll see you tonight. Don't drink too much, we're leaving as soon as we get this prisoner."

"Go, then."

As he reached the door, she called out, "And Jomei?"

He looked over his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"If I were the kind of person that had friends, I would be glad if you were one of them."

* * *

It was a snowy winter night over Omashu. The light grey clouds hung over the mountains like a blanket, shedding a strange silver light upon the great city. Though it should have been dark as coal, instead one could easily see a fair distance, until the falling white flakes swallowed everything whole. Anything beyond that swirling curtain might as well not have existed. And the wind had picked up, moaning through the streets like a restless spirit. It was a perfect night for an escape.

It began in a certain street. A group of Earth Kingdom soldiers forged ahead through the drifts, carrying a glowcrystal lantern on a long pole coloring the snow an eerie green. They were wrapped up in heavy cloaks and scarves, grumbling at having to be out tonight. None of them were particularly alert, here in the heart of the greatest southern stronghold. They just wanted to get out of the cold. As they rounded a corner, they greeted by a man carrying a pot of hot tea. He kindly offered some of it to them in exchange for their hard work. Thanking him for his generosity, most of them accepted. A moment later, all of them were asleep.

"I feel ridiculous," Jomei grumbled, crunching through the snow. "How do these guys fight with all this armor?"

"Be grateful they had an earthbender with them," Siensao admonished him, "that armor is designed to give you the freedom to bend effectively. Ours isn't."

"Knock off that chatter, men," Kei Dao said, playing the role of the bluff commander with far too much enthusiasm, in Jomei's opinion. "We're almost there."

Up ahead of them, Hei'an Prison emerged from the snows, its gloomy stone walls looming high above them. Watch fires burned high upon the outer wall, where thick wooden gates stood shut. The gate guards spotted their lantern as they approached.

"Who are you?" their commander asked Kei Dao, "I thought Wudan Gei's patrol had the inspection tonight."

"Lieutenant Lao Xia," Kei Dao said. "Wudan's back is acting up again, or so he says. You know how he is about his 'old war wound.' You'd think they'd lean on his brother a little to stop cutting him so much slack."

The guard nodded in sympathy.

"Yeah, that's him all right. You have your orders?"

"Got'em right here." Kei Dao produced an official scroll, made out in the name of Lieutenant Lao Xia. The guard looked over them carefully, the snowflakes leaving wet spots on the paper, then handed it back.

"Right, you know the drill. Walk the outer walls first, then the upper levels, then the iron cells. Try not to be all night about it." He signaled to someone on top of the wall and the gates swung open. Jomei had to stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief. That part of the plan had worked. They'd gotten into one of the highest-security prisons in the south. Whether they could get out again...that he didn't know.

There was only one way in or out of the prison proper. The main building, visible above the outer wall, housed only petty offenders. But where that building merged into the mountain stone of Omashu, a single tunnel ran back into the real prison. It was so narrow that two people could only walk side by side with difficulty, and low enough that the ceiling brushed the top of Jomei's borrowed helmet. The ubiquitous glowcrystal torches lined the hallway, alongside stone cell doors. For non-benders, it was the perfect prison. At regular intervals, other tunnels branched out to the left and right, lined with more cell doors. Faint noises came from behind some of them, muffled by the thick stone. At each intersection stood a squad of guards. Kei Dao made a point of greeting them as they passed, as though he walked a group of jailbreakers through these halls every day.

They walked through three levels of the stone cells, descending deeper and deeper into the mountain's heart via an earthbending-powered lift that was the only way to pass between the levels. Below the last level of the stone cells came the iron cells. Everything was plated with the grim grey metal. Walls, ceilings, floors, and the cells themselves were all covered in it. The glowcrystals seemed off somehow, casting a sickly green light over the black hallways. The guards here were less talkative than those above, as if they too were beaten down. And the prisoners were worse. They were all pale from too little time in the sun. Some of them watched the guards through the small, barred windows in their cells with open hostility. A few of them were smiling, seeming very much at home in the gloom, and whispered threats as the group walked by. Jomei gained a new respect for Siensao, for coming here almost every day since they'd arrived.

Finally, they reached Kyuzo's cell, on the lowest level of the iron cells, three more levels down. It was rumored that below this level was a place where prisoners went when they were never meant to come out and were never seen again. The firebender's cell was at the very end of a long corridor. Their guide, a younger man as pale as the prisoners he guarded, with a disturbing smile, unlocked the door for them.

"We'll be rid of this one soon enough," he assured them with a little laugh. "About time they got him cleared out. Too much clutter taking up that cell. More space for prisoners. We always need more space down here. I heard they're taking him Down Below."

"Oh, I'm not so sure," Kei Dao said as they walked in. "I've got someone on the inside who tells me differently."

That was when they struck. Jomei caught their guide around the neck with one thick arm and pressed one of Siensao's knockout patches over his nose and mouth with the other hand. The miner kneed him in the back to make him breathe it in. Siensao and Zoukani, working together, overpowered one guard on duty within the cell, and Kei Dao got the other one. Within a short time, three bodies were lowered to the iron floor and Kei Dao had produced the key to Kyuzo's cell.

The firebender was already moving, gathering up the extra explosives he'd hidden in various corners of his cell. Jomei now got his first good look at the man and hated him right then and there. Even in this prison, he had a smug, self-satisfied look that the miner detested.

"Hey, Siensao," Kyuzo said as he worked, grinning, "nice to see you again! I see you brought friends, too. Who's who?"

Siensao was examining the fallen guards.

"Now is not the time, Kyuzo. We brought some clothes that should fit you." She tossed him a plain brown tunic and pants that she'd gotten out of her pack. "You'll have to steal some boots from one of these men. I think our informative escort is about your size."

Kyuzo swapped out his own clothes for the ones Siensao had given him, stuffing various compounds and tools into a large sack, then draped two heavy bandoliers crammed with explosives over his shoulders.

"If anyone tries to get in our way," he promised, "you'll see some real fireworks. And I've got the perfect distraction all set up." He swung open the cell door, stepping outside his prison for the first time in months. It felt incredible. He was riding on a wave of excitement that might collapse at any minute, but until it did, he couldn't be stopped.

"Just do as you're told, Fire Nation!" Jomei snapped. "And don't blow anything up until we say so. In fact, don't blow anything up at all. That's not part of the plan."

Zoukani gave the miner a significant look, but Jomei ignored him.

"Don't tell me that," he muttered, "I don't have to like him to work with him. And besides, I _know_ what'll happen if one of those things goes off down here."

Their task went faster after that, and after dragging the unconscious guards out into the hallway and around the nearest corner, Kyuzo emerged from the cell last of all, barely able to contain his excitement. He was sweating, though, and there was fear in him as well. Even Jomei could sense it.

"So what do we do?" the firebender whispered.

"We walk out of this cell and into the next one down the hall," Kei Dao said as though it were the most natural thing in the world. He pushed open the iron door and walked out, everyone else following. Every instant in the corridor seemed an eternity to Jomei. He was positive someone would spot them and sound the alarm. _We stick out like a damn traveling show at a monastary!_ He breathed a great sigh of relief when the cell door swung shut behind them. The place was actually pretty spacious, well-furnished, and well-lit for a prison cell, but it was still quite cramped with five people inside.

"What now, assassin?" Jomei hissed, not having been informed of what happened next.

"Now," Kei Dao said, taking out a small wrench from one of his pockets, "we stay very quiet so as not to distract me while I take off this panel." He knelt down and began unbolting one of the heavy iron plates at the base of one of the walls. Those bolts and fittings were suspiciously well-oiled, Jomei noticed. He began to have an idea of where they were to go from here.

"A tunnel?" he guessed.

"Right in one," Kei Dao said. "One of the previous occupants of this cell-hold this bolt, please-was an earthbender, and after he'd got this plate off, bent himself a tunnel all the way to the surface, just outside the walls. Unfortunately for him, the local syndicate caught him just about immediately."

The second bolt came loose and Kei Dao held it out without looking for someone to take. Jomei snatched it up and the other man kept talking. "After he'd told them about the tunnel, they slit his throat, dumped the body back in the cell, and closed up the tunnel again. Since the guards do regular sweeps for these kinds of things, they have to change around the layout a lot-there goes bolt number three-but it's the main way of getting prisoners out of here if they feel like it's necessary, or if King Bumi needs a prisoner released for whatever reason but can't do it officially. The crazy old man struck a bargain with the syndicate; neither of them like the Fire Nation, so it's an unofficial alliance of interest. Where do you think half the supplies come from in this city? Ah, got it!"

He held up the last bolt triumphantly, then carefully pried off the heavy panel, with help from Jomei. Behind it was the yawning mouth of the tunnel. Jomei looked down at himself.

"There is no way I'm fitting through there in all this armor."

"Which is why you're not going there," Siensao explained patiently. "Kyuzo is going in there, then we have to put this plate back, put the bolts back in, and go out the same way we came, as a legitimate inspection patrol. Meanwhile, Kyuzo goes through the tunnel. It exits just inside the outer wall of the prison. Even the syndicate didn't want to risk it being discovered by somebody walking the outer edge of that wall. From there, we'll have someone else waiting to get him out. Kyuzo, you have the signal?"

Kyuzo patted the sack he was carrying.

"Just like you asked for. One green and one flashbang."

"Then get going, but once you get up there, wait five minutes before setting it off."

"See you on the other side!" Kyuzo wriggled into the cramped space and swiftly vanished out of sight.

Jomei sighed.

"This person who's picking him up had better be trustworthy. He better not let the little rat out of his sight for a second."

"Don't worry," Siensao said, "she won't."

* * *

Kyuzo groped his way blindly through the tunnel, barking his shins on tight corners and scratching up his hands on the rough stone. His breathing was too fast for comfort and the sack he was dragging behind him seemed to catch on every slight projection, stopping him in his tracks for just an instant, making him feel like he'd gotten stuck. He decided he didn't like being underground.

"Whoever built this tunnel had a mind like a drunken scorpion-bee," he muttered, grasping the handholds in a vertical section with all his might. "They were a damned sadistic bastard who wanted to make people afraid of going indoors."

He had lost track of how long he had been climbing. He only knew somewhere ahead there was air and sky and wind waiting for him, and after months spent in the dim green light of glowcrystals and the icy hardness of iron plates, he would have killed to get out. He might still do so. Kyuzo had never before been so afraid of himself, and afraid of the outside. And with that consuming fear came manic courage. He kept climbing.

* * *

Jomei and the others' return to the surface was uneventful. It had been ludicrously easy to just walk away from the scene of the crime. Not a single guard shouted after them (in fact, they all seemed to be going about their duties half-asleep), even though Jomei tensed and held his breath each time, so certain was he that they just couldn't possibly get clean away. But they did. It was a thrilling feeling, but Jomei, relieved of the terror of anticipation, couldn't help the gnaw of bitter guilt. He was a traitor to his nation now, the same way he was a traitor to his village and his family. _Don't know what I'll betray next. Hard to get bigger than a nation. Maybe I'll find some elder spirit and make them mad._ One day, when they had no further need for Kyuzo, he would take a very special pleasure in killing the little man. But not now. Not yet.

"How much longer?" he finally asked, his breath misting in the frigid night air. The four of them were waiting behind the closest building to the prison walls, and slowly being buried under the snow. Even through the padding under his armor, Jomei felt the cold metal getting to him. His fingers were starting to freeze.

"Soon," Siensao answered, which failed to reassure him. He also had failed to see the person who'd be getting the firebender out of there. They'd have to be pretty damned good to slip over the wall, throw him over their shoulder, and waltz back out.

* * *

Kyuzo could smell the snow and feel dripping water. He had reached the exit of the tunnel, but it was sealed with a heavy stone block and the ice had frozen that block in place. Kyuzo was cold, almost too cold to bend. His inner fire was low and guttering. But he opened a shivering hand and the air took fire. Ice began melting, but too slow, far too slow for him to make the deadline. Inspections were every half hour, he couldn't afford to waste time.

Taking a deep breath, he did as he'd been taught in basic training, drawing on all the wrongs in his life, on all the things that made him angry, on everything he'd ever hated with a passion. Passion empowered firebending, made him stronger, so they said. Kyuzo just wasn't good at getting angry, or hadn't been before he left home. But the injustice that had made him a prisoner for all this time, that was making him leave Jura, probably to die, that he could get angry about. That he could get furious about, mad with rage. The fire in his hands grew stronger, flaring upwards and licking against the roof of the tunnel, burning the air and making his breath come in gasps, but he couldn't stop, he was too close...

He thrust both hands forward with an angry shout and the ice shattered, turning to steam in an instant, along with a lot of snow. Now he was on his hands and knees in a puddle of water that was growing colder every second. The fire died out and he was just ordinary Kyuzo again. He put his shoulder against the block and shoved hard.

It moved a little, scraping against the stone. He shoved again. Another inch. He threw his whole weight against the block and finally it shifted enough to let him squeeze out. He got to his feet, dragging the sack out after him, already feeling miserable in the cold. It was much easier to push the block back in, though. The falling snow would bury it in minutes. _Agni, why did I ever leave my nice warm cell for this? This is crazy! But spirits help me I love it so!_ Fumbling at the contents of his sack with stiff fingers, he found what he was looking for, two skyrockets, meant to be held in one hand and set off with the other. But his timing would have to be perfect. He snapped his fingers and ignited the fuse on the first rocket.

* * *

Jomei saw the rocket streak upwards above the prison walls with a whistling sound, leaving a shower of light in its wake, saw it burst into a brilliant gold fire-flower with a great boom.

"Shield your eyes," Siensao warned the group. Jomei squeezed his eyes shut. Just after he did so, a blinding white flash went off in the same place. Anyone who had looked to see what the firework was would be blind for the next few seconds. Daring to open one eye, Jomei's jaw dropped as he saw a giant figure stand up from among the nearby buildings and, each footstep like a hammer upon the ground, take a running, bending-asssisted leap over the prison wall.

_BOOM!_ The earth shuddered and Kyuzo gaped up at the thing that had fallen from the sky. Crouching next to him was an immense stone giant. Huge cracks now riddled the ground beneath and around it, edges poking up through the snow. When it was standing, it would be thirty paces tall and half that wide. It reached out one great hand and a finger as big around as a barrel beckoned him on. Kyuzo took precious seconds to understand that this was his means of escape and he scrambled up onto the hand, which closed around him.

A lot of shouting was going on and somebody was ringing the alarm bell. The golem leapt again, back over the wall, and hit the ground running. A volley of stones followed after, thrown by some earthbenders who had recovered earlier than the rest. The golem held Kyuzo close and took the one stone that hit on its broad back. Even that was enough to stagger it, stone chips flying everywhere. But they made it into the shelter of the city. The golem knelt down and let Kyuzo get off, the firebender backing away quickly. He was still backing away when he bumped into someone. He whirled around in terror and saw what looked at first glance like a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers.

"Don't panic!" one of them said, whom he belatedly recognized as Siensao, accompanied by her friends. "It's me! And your rescuer is friendly. See?" She pointed at the golem. Kyuzo turned around and watched the stone giant fall apart.

The cracks appeared in sections, first at the joints, then spreading to the limbs, and finally, the body fell in half lengthwise, giving off a sound like a great rockslide. A small figure, presumably the bender that had been controlling the golem, leapt downwards from the crumbling stone, landing on one knee in front of them. In the green lantern light, Jomei's keen eyes recognized who it was, once they pulled down the scarf they were wearing.

"Jura?" he blurted out. "You...here...what-"

"No time!" she cut him off, "they'll be after us, we can't stay here! Come on!" She took off running, and Jomei found himself slogging through the snow, gasping for breath, after the others.

"I'm not sure I can make it!" Kyuzo wheezed, having more trouble than most, his long confinement having stolen his wind and strength.

"We're almost there!" Siensao promised. Zoukani fell back a little to support the firebender. Out of the snow emerged one of the mail delivery stations, abandoned and silent at this hour of the night, but with stone bins still stacked close by. Jomei bent one of the bins onto the chute, just before where it dropped away down into the lower city, the one with a makeshift snowplow attached to the front to clear the chute. It was only big enough for three people, so Kyuzo, Kei Dao, and Siensao went first. Jomei shoved them down, perhaps with a little more force than necessary, hearing Kyuzo's whooping and hollering fade into the night. He bent another bin onto the chute and Zoukani climbed in, gesturing for him to hurry. But he couldn't leave yet. He had to know.

"Why are you here?" he demanded. "Why are you helping us? You could have been killed! And where did you learn to do that?"

"Because you're still my brother," she said. "You're right, I could have been killed, so I want you to make sure I didn't risk my life for nothing. I want you to stay alive. Do that for me!"

Jomei nodded without hesitation.

"I'll do it. I promise. For you."

Zoukani clapped his hands to call attention to the fact that they had to go. Jomei ignored him.

"Whatever you do," he said, "just...just stay safe, okay? I'll be back."

"I'll be waiting," she replied, a sad smile on her face, "now go!"

Jomei leapt into the bin and bent them on their way, throwing one last look over his shoulder. The last he saw of his sister was a shadowy figure turning to run, melting away into the dark and the snow.

* * *

In the dead of night, Reki found them and the group fled Omashu, heading west under the snow, which wiped away their footprints behind them. It was as though they had never reached the mountain stronghold. In many ways, Jomei wished they never had, for he bitterly regretted how things had gone with Jura. But what was done was done, and not all of it bad. He walked on, head lowered in the teeth of the wind.

When at last Siensao thought they had gone far enough, they retreated into a shallow cave upon a rock face that, judging by the blackened circle of stones inside, had been used for shelter more than once by others. Jomei bent a stone shield against the wind and cold and in the dim green light from that damn glowcrystal lantern, which Siensao seemed to feel no qualms about stealing, observed his enemy. And his enemy observed him.

The tension in the air was stifling. Jomei's steady glare burned into the Fire Nation soldier, carrying unspoken accusations. _Monster. Murderer. Fire Nation_. Everything that he hated was there, everything he wanted to destroy was there. He had promised he wouldn't, but nothing stopped him from making it very clear where he stood.

Kyuzo, for his part, returned Jomei's gaze with a measured sneer. Jura hadn't been lying about her brother and his hatred of anything Fire Nation. She also hadn't mentioned how big he was, or about the steel warhammer he kept fiddling with like it weighed little more than a child's wooden toy, but Kyuzo refused to allow that to shake him. If he shrank away from Jomei now, there was no chance he'd ever get any respect from the man.

And if Jomei were going to kill him anyway, at least Kyuzo had stuck the metaphorical finger in the lout's eye

Reki was snoring loudly in a corner and no one dared to wake her. Zoukani had resumed his post as the eternal watchman, his spear propped against his shoulder. Siensao watched the standoff, annoyed, finally breaking the silence.

"Both of you, stop that. Nobody is going to try anything here and we don't have time to sit around watching you growl at each other. Go to sleep."

Jomei thrust out an accusing finger. "Tell him to wipe that smirk off his face, then. I'll bet he just thinks the Fire Nation is the greatest thing to ever happen to the world."

"Well, without fire we would be in a sorry state right now, wouldn't we?" Kyuzo shot back.

Jomei leaned forward and jabbed two fingers into Kyuzo's chest.

"You watch yourself, or I'll crack your head like an eggshell. Go on, give me an excuse, _give me an excuse, ash-eater!_"

Kyuzo rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes, in true Earth Kingdom style, just hit all your problems with a rock! Brilliant! With a strategy like that it's no wonder you've got where you are today!"

He gurgled a bit as Jomei took hold of him by the neck and yanked him to his feet.

"And what about the Fire Nation style? Just burn everything to the ground! You ever been on the receiving end of that?"

"What can I say?" Kyuzo managed to retort, even half-strangled. "It seems to be the only way you have of understanding our nation's strength."

Jomei flung him back down with a frustrated snarl. "Siensao, I can't work with this ash-eater! You can't ask me to put up with that for a year!"

Siensao groaned, massaging her temples.

"Kyuzo, speak civilly or not at all. Jomei, don't try and pick a fight, you started this. This has to work. Please try and get used to each other. You'll be traveling a very long way together."

Jomei sat down in sullen silence, going back to glaring at the firebender, who made a show of bedding down for the night, unconcerned about his traveling companion. Jomei tried to stay awake for as long as he could, but eventually, he drifted off. For a moment before he surrendered to sleep, he thought he saw Kyuzo take a stone figurine out of a pocket, but then decided he had imagined it. Then he was asleep. Tomorrow was another day and he had places to go.

* * *

Comedic Interlude

Siensao: So, Reki, any more past enemies that are liable to swim up and bite us in the ass at the worst possible moment? And if so, can I get some advance warning so I can advertise and sell tickets? Because that fight was awesome. Just saying. I'll give you a cut of the profits.

Reki: Says the woman who's managed to make enemies across the whole world. At least I stuck to the desert.

Jomei: Couldn't tell it by how much screen time you get. I thought I was supposed to be the closest thing to a main character in this story.

Reki: Well it wasn't intentional. You think I want to deal with things like that?" *gestures to crazed fangirl restrained by fence*

Fan: I WANT TO HAVE YOUR CHILDREN, YOU CRAZY, WONDERFUL WOMAN!

Jomei: What, that's a bad thing? Do you have to be so damn angsty all the time?

Hanhei: You're not doing so good yourself in that area, son. You do know the reason I want you to get rid of her is because I just can't stand the drama when the two of you get together. *affects falsetto voices* I'm a terrible person! No you're not! Yes I am! No you're not! It gets _old_. Just marry the woman already. Or kill her. Either way, I'll be happy. You're halfway there as it is, you argue enough.

Kyuzo: We can make it a double wedding!

Jomei: Shut up, granddad. And who are you getting married to, Fire Nation, one of the prison guards? Or one of the prisoners? They must really be desperate. Or cheap.

Kyuzo: You really shouldn't talk about your sister like that. Oh...crap, you weren't supposed to know that yet. Can we pretend that never happened?

Jomei: ...I WILL F***NG MURDER YOU!

Kyuzo: Guess not!

*carnage ensues as the curtain falls*


	12. Mercy of the Winds

A/N: Thanks for this chapter go as always to Sylvacoer and PetertheChameleon, my incomparable editors. We're about halfway back to where I left off the story. It seems like a long time ago, but one day, we'll move ahead into unknown territory. For now though, the Tumen arc begins! Enjoy the show.

* * *

Salt spray, foaming white, drifted over the deck of the _Mon Lei_ as it sailed into the cold northern seas. The wind was a warm one, coming from the south, and it drove the ship'sprow through each swell of blue-green waves with a great force. They were hugging the rocky western coast of the Earth Kingdom, a place of jagged reefs and meager grey sandy shores. The weather was fair, with wispy white clouds twisting across the sky and a bright sun that kept away the worst of the chill.

The ship, a two-masted junk one hundred paces from bow to stern and twenty abeam, was typical of the trading vessels that plied the ports of the Earth Kingdom, with a high stern, low bow, and broad, flat deck in between. Its name was a phrase from one of the ancient Earth Kingdom languages that meant 'Ten Thousand Voyages.'

Though it flew a black and red Fire Nation pennant from the main topgallant mast, a blue banner cracked in the wind from atop the foremast: a prayer flag, the silver characters woven down its length a petition to the ocean spirit to spare the ship from the perils of the sea. Deeply carved characters in the mainmast called on the moon spirit to light their way. Earth had no power here.

Jomei hung over the railing near the bow, fighting with the roiling in his gut. Though it was nowhere near as bad as it had been when he first stepped aboard, it was bad enough that he couldn't do much beyond sit and think, even on better days. The tilting deck was just too unnatural. _If I ever get off this accursed pile of wood and canvas, I'm never setting foot off land again for as long as I live_. The excuse for food, the stink below decks, the way everything on board seemed to become stiff and crusted with salt: there was nothing he would miss about the sea. He glanced towards the stern, where Captain Kou Long steered the ship and occasionally bellowed orders, with the crew scrambling to carry them out. _All he needs to do is just switch flags and he goes on about his life. Slippery bastards, the lot of them._

They were hardly alone on the waves. All about them, he could see ships moving, all the way to the horizon. The merchant traffic here was considerable, and the shipping lanes were crowded. He even saw the smoke plume of a Fire Navy warship on patrol. _I already hate where we're going._

Kyuzo, in stark contrast to the earthbender, was unable to stop grinning, relaxing in the sun amidships with Siensao. The firebender, as he was fond of saying, cut his teeth on barnacles and first learned to walk in a storm at sea. While the truth of that was questionable, he did at least know how to work his way around the _Mon Lei_ and shave a little off the price of passage. He and Siensao were talking in low tones. Privacy was next to nonexistent on a ship, but so long as they kept their voices down, the sounds of the sea and the crew would drown them out.

"So," Kyuzo said, "if you were asked a question by a soldier, what would you do?"

"I would bow _formally_ and hold it for two breaths," Siensao answered. "Longer if he had the courtesy to bow himself. At the end of our conversation, I would bow _informally_ and hold it for a half breath. If the soldier in question was on official business or was otherwise a high ranking officer, I would bow _very formally_ and hold it for three breaths. This may or may not lead to a series of lesser bows between us both in the latter cases." Fire Nation customs were exceedingly complex-_almost_ equal to those of the Earth Kingdom-but she was beginning to understand their intricacies.

Kyuzo shook his head.

"It beats me how you can memorize all this stuff in barely a month," he said. "You even speak with a homeland accent."

"I had a good teacher," she said, smiling broadly. _Though he was back at Ba Sing Se University. Kyuzo is only an adequate teacher at best. Still, he does try, and it's nice to have somebody to talk to about the little things._ Kyuzo had obviously been starved for conversation in prison and could ramble on for hours about anything that crossed his mind.

The firebender looked embarrassed.

"Hey, I'm just trying to live up to my end of our deal. I can't tell you how grateful I am. Though..." he sighed.

"Thinking about a certain woman?" Siensao asked sympathetically.

"I've already done too much of that. Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you a personal question."

"Thank you for asking permission. You may," Siensao answered, raising an eyebrow.

He turned and met her gaze. His eyes, she'd noticed long ago, were the color of copper in the sunlight.

"When did you all lose hope?"

"I'm...not sure I understand the question," Siensao said, honestly surprised. Nobody had ever asked that before.

"I've been watching you, Jomei, Reki, and Zoukani for a month now," Kyuzo said, his face serious, "and I've never seen anyone mention something about the future that was good. Jomei considers anger, hate, and vengeance a three-course meal, Reki just doesn't care about anything, Zoukani told me the war ate him up and spat him out like he is now, and you..well, honestly, you smile and laugh and seem happy sometimes. If it were just you, I'd believe you're as normal as anybody can be that breaks Fire Nation soldiers out of prison as a hobby, but when you have those four for friends, it's either not by choice, like me, or because they're the kind of people you like being around. So I'd guess you don't have any hope either. It's just a guess, of course, but am I right?"

Siensao's smile this time was a frail, tiny thing and Kyuzo nodded solemnly.

"_That's_ your smile. I like it better than all the others you've shown me. I'm guessing you haven't used it for a while."

"For someone so optimistic, Kyuzo," she said, "you're more perceptive than I thought."

"Oh. Uh, thanks. I think it was really just luck, though. I've always been lucky." He noticed she hadn't answered the question and didn't press the matter. "When I was a kid," he said, "my father told me if I ever made a mistake, or hurt myself, or did something wrong, I should come to see him, and he would tell me one thing. To have hope for something better. If I could remember that, he said, I'd always come through alright. I've done my best, but it's been hard. I can only imagine what it was like for the rest of you, for you to have lost sight of that. I'm sorry."

"You said a few weeks ago that with all you see in the world, you had to either laugh or cry and you chose to laugh," Siensao said thoughtfully. "I suppose most of us chose to cry. As for myself, I've never been fond of black-and-white choices."

"So what did you choose?"

"To remember."

"That's another thing I like, I can finally talk with somebody who thinks about these sorts of things. Nobody else appreciates philosophy. Well, Reki does, but not enough to keep up a friendly debate."

He imitated Reki's voice while pretending to stab the air around his hand.

"Please. By all means. Keep talking."

Siensao chuckled.

"I don't know if stabbing the table around your hand is really how the Si Wong tribes settle disagreements over ethics and ontology, but I guess it entertained the crew for a little while"

Kyuzo laughed.

"Hey, if I'd have seen myself, I'd have thought it was hilarious. As it is, I think the ten seconds I lasted before screaming like a little girl did credit to the Fire Nation" His good cheer faded. "Funny that I'm making more progress with Reki than with Jura's brother. Who knew talking about _weather_ could make a man so angry." The earthbender had threatened to dig his teeth out one by one if Kyuzo so much as breathed near him, let alone spoke to him again.

Siensao put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I think Jomei is a lost cause as far as liking you is concerned. And Reki would like you better if you didn't talk so much around her." She paused, considering. "Not talking around Reki might be the safest course as well, now that I think about it."

"Oh, she likes the strong silent type, eh? All right, I'll see what I can do. As soon as we get into port, I'll show her around the town."

As though summoned by his words, Reki emerged from the lower decks, looking rather green in the face. Kyuzo watched her move towards where Jomei stood by the railing.

"You know, Kyuzo," Siensao said, choosing her words carefully, "I'm curious why you persist in trying to be their friend. They both have good reason to hate the Fire Nation and I don't think anything you do will change that."

"Why not?" Kyuzo demanded, his expression abruptly turning serious and intense. There was a hint of desperation there, too. "I've been nothing but nice since we met! I'm not offended because they're from the Earth Kingdom, why should it be different because of where I'm from!"

Siensao raised her hands in a shrug; she'd had her suspicions and Kyuzo's reaction told her more than she needed to know. _I can't pry much deeper without risk._

"It just is," she said. "I'm sorry, but I don't think it'll change."

Kyuzo's smile was strained and weak.

"Don't worry," he said. "It'll be fine. I've been through worse. I'll make do."

_Somehow,_ Siensao thought, _I doubt it. The last thing I needed was another unstable mind on my hands._

Down on the main deck, Jomei noticed Reki come up alongside him with dark thoughts. He took a dark pleasure in the fact that someone else suffered as much from seasickness as he did.

"How are the talks with your grandfather going?" she asked after a while. Jomei didn't think he would ever get used to her being the one to start the conversation. Yet another reason he was looking forward to leaving the sea behind.

"The same as always," he said. "If it's not coating one thing with stone, it's another. First the hammer, then bracers and anklets, now it's making weapons out of stone. He says you can make stone edges sharp enough to cut through iron if you're good enough, though I doubt that."

"You can. I have seen it done. In the desert, some sandbenders master the art of turning sand to stone as well as the other way around. The blades they craft for close combat are unmatched by nearly any armor and most blades. The blade is not your strength, though. Why does he insist on you learning this form?"

"Something about shaping the rocks I throw to punch through defenses instead of bounce off them, making stone spears, using the spike on my hammer better, things like that. Oh, and he's still rambling on about destiny."

"What do you have to tell me today?"

Jomei's annoyance vanished into grim seriousness.

"Back in Omashu, when I was fighting that sandbender...I didn't hesitate to do it, I was thinking too fast, but after I killed him, I almost lost it. I dropped my hammer and stood there panicking." He stared down at the boards at his feet, not only because another wave of nausea rolled over him at a sudden pitch in the ship. "Yeah, I snapped out of it, but...it's not what I'd call being a warrior or a soldier or much of anything besides scared and sick." The memory of a month's worth of nightmares and shame nearly made him retch. _Here goes nothing..._ "Maybe...you can explain it to me why I can't seem to get over it."

"You did better than I did when I first killed an enemy," Reki said, startling Jomei. "What you're experiencing is something all warriors go through. There is no good answer or explanation I can give you that will make it better. To kill someone is to take away all they are and all they will ever become. A good person will hesitate before killing, because they know in their heart it is wrong. And afterwards, they will be sickened by what they have done. You should never get used to killing or death. All you can do is live with what you have done."

"I...did better than you?"

Reki's gaze grew distant as she looked deep into the past.

"This is what I have to tell you today: when I had seen fourteen rains, I went on my first raiding party to attack a band of Fire Nation scouts who had refused to pay for passage through the lands of the Hami tribe. In the battle, I disarmed and badly wounded one of the soldiers. I had the chance to kill him. You said you hesitated? I did not hesitate. And afterwards, I exulted in my victory. It was then that I was given a new name, of which you know."

_Blood Drinker._

"So you see," Reki finished, "you did better than me. You should be grateful for your strength of character. I have always believed strength is your best virtue."

"Thanks," Jomei muttered, not knowing what else to say. Another long silence passed. Jomei opened his mouth to speak, but then the lookout started bellowing down to the crew.

"Lumin in sight! Lumin ahead!"

The announcement caused a great deal of commotion on the deck as crewmen ran every which way, adjusting ropes and sails and doing other incomprehensible tasks that would get the ship through the gauntlet of fishing boats, other merchant ships, and whatever oddities the local harbor had to offer. Captain Kou Long, that tiny, wrinkled stub of a man, was in fine form, swearing a blue streak. His voice carried well, all along the ship's length. Kyuzo made his way through the rush, across the deck to Jomei, with Siensao following. Zoukani came up from below decks to join them.

"Just wait, friends," Kyuzo said, "you'll love the food here. I don't know how you survive on rice and millet, but some of the peppers here could probably burn through steel."

"Yeah, looks like you also have a much better quality of smoke, too," Jomei remarked acidly. He wasn't joking. Though Earth Kingdom cities also tended to give off such fumes from the various craftsmen's shops, Lumin was to them as the sun to a candle, and as the city drew closer, they watched in silence as the details of Fire Nation rule became clear.

The waterfront and much of the land along the river that ran to the north of the city was a solid line of heavy industry, black-smudged stonework and riveted iron plates. Dozens of factories were hard at work, churning out war materials and the intricate machinery that kept the Fire Nation war effort running. There must have been a hundred smokestacks spilling plumes of smoke and soot into the sky. An immense shipyard dominated the southern end of the port, the dark frames of Fire Navy warships occupying most of its graving docks. Workers swarmed over them like ants. Just beside them, finished warships rode at anchor in their berths, waiting silently for the call to action.

A gray haze hung over Lumin, staining the sunlight. It was a place of metal and fire now, whatever it might have been before the war.

Reki shook her head.

"Disgusting." Nobody dared to disagree.

The Mon Lei pulled into the civilian docks, south of the worst of the fumes, between the factories and the naval shipyard. Many other merchant ships were docked alongside them. The gangplank thumped against stone docks and the four travelers walked down into enemy territory. Captain Kou Long and his first mate preceded them.

At the end of the dock, a customs official waited behind a stone desk, with a massive ledger open in front of him and an awning overhead. He looked bored.

Kou Long bowed, though not very deeply, and the official returned the gesture just as halfheartedly. Neither of them were inclined to waste time when money was involved.

"Honor to you and yours, sir!" the captain said to the official. "Captain Kou Long of the _Mon Lei_. We've just come from Zhanjiang with a cargo of coal, iron, and quality stone. These are our passengers." Siensao bowed on cue and was pleased to see that everyone did so too, even Jomei.

"Ah, very good, captain," the official replied, his greed bleeding into his voice. "You're most welcome in Lumin! My humble apologies for mentioning money, but before I can admit you into the city, I'll need the docking fee."

Kou Long, proffered the heavy bag he'd been carrying with both hands which the other man readily accepted and placed to one side. The official's brush moved swiftly, taking down all the information in seconds. Then he looked to Siensao.

"Your names, business in our city, and papers, please," he said.

Siensao pulled out a thick sheaf of papers and laid them on the desk. It wasn't hard to obtain permits for travel within the Fire Nation territories, but you were required to show them wherever you went at any official checkpoint. In this way, people who moved around a lot quickly came under suspicion unless they were on official business. She planned to use them as little as possible.

"My name is Kusari, merchant of the southern colonies," she said. "These are my guards, Reki, Zoukani, Rikichi, and Jomei, who is also our porter." Indeed, Jomei was carrying most of the worldly possessions of the group on his back. The weight didn't bother him, but the straps of the pack were digging into his shoulders.

"We're here to bring quality southern goods to Lumin's markets," she concluded. "Can I interest you in a new brush? That one looks a little ragged."

The official chuckled.

"Thanks, but I'll make do. Looks like everything is in order for you all." Retrieving a stamp from somewhere behind the desk, he carefully stamped the documents and handed them back to her.

"Welcome to Lumin, ma'am. You're free to go, but if this is your first time here, watch yourself. Captain, you're cleared to begin off-loading cargo, the quicker the better, too. We can sure use that coal."

Kou Long nodded. He turned to Siensao.

"You've been good passengers; it would be my privilege to provide you passage back south, when you've finished your business here," he said ,grinning. "Good luck to you."

"And to you," she answered. The five of them left the docks and entered the fiery heart of Lumin.

It was dirty. That was Jomei's first impression and one that never left him as he walked behind Siensao, into the depths of the city. The air was dirty, breathing it was an ordeal and he coughed every so often. The streets and buildings were dirty, stained by the smoke and the occasional rain of ash and soot, turning red and gold paint into crimson and dark yellow. Most of all, the earthbender thought, anger roiling within him, the people were dirty. Whatever else he'd thought of Gaoling and Omashu, they at least had some good people. Lumin had factory workers, soldiers, and purveyors of every vice known to man.

Fire Army soldiers in black and red were everywhere, laughing, joking, lording it over everyone else. Earthbenders, with black-stained feet, walked with bent backs, trying to avoid being noticed. Many people glanced Siensao's way, but between Jomei's bulk, Reki's commanding presence, and Zoukani's look of quiet competence, nobody waylaid them, though various people shouted at them to buy various things. Kyuzo slowed down once or twice, but Jomei shoved him onwards. _We let him out of our sight, he'll come down with seventeen kinds of pox by nightfall and gotten into debt up to his ears in this kind of place._

At last, they located an inn in a slightly better section of Lumin and Siensao called a council of war in the cramped room that she insisted had to hold all five of them.

"We were told our next destination would be the Tumen people," she said, sitting on the bed. "The problem with that is the steppes are vast and constantly patrolled by the Fire Nation. I need to find out the exact situation and find a way to get us there through the Fire Army lines. Kyuzo and Zoukani should come with me, I think. As for you two...try and stay out of trouble and don't wander too far. We'll meet back here, but don't wait up for me. I have a lot of business to attend to. Does that sound like a plan?"

Jomei nodded. "Sounds fine to me."

Reki shrugged slightly. "So long as the wine here isn't watered, I never intend to leave."

Kyuzo was all smiles. "Ha! An evening on the town, eh? I'd be glad to show you around."

Siensao smiled. "It's decided, then. Remember where you are and watch what you say. We're behind enemy lines now."

* * *

Kyuzo had picked the place, based on his experiences, however brief, as a soldier out for a night on the town. He'd chosen well, too. The Furnace, as the bar was called, counted a great many soldiers and watchmen among its customers, a few of them still in uniform. It was just the place to hear any news about recent developments on the front and troop movements. The sun had long ago sunk into the west and the creature of the night emerged in Lumin. Kyuzo showed a surprising luck at games of chance, and joined a heated argument about a game of Pai Sho in progress. Zoukani faded into the background, hearing everything and saying nothing. Siensao, after discreetly plying her trade and selling off a few items, was able to find who she was looking for.

"Lieutenant Akani of the 44th Division," the woman said, bowing slightly. "Pleased to meet you, Kusari. Any friend of Kyuzo here is a friend of mine. I won a gold piece on that Pai Sho game betting on the man he picked to win. She grinned widely. "So I think it's only fair to spend it celebrating my good fortune. Mind if I sit down?"

"Please," Siensao said, gesturing to the empty spot at her table. _Of course his suggestion was the right one, he got it from me. But I don't think I'll mention that._ She returned Akani's smile, while looking the other woman over. The young lieutenant was of average height, with thick black hair worn in the ubiquitous topknot as well as a short dragon-tail at the nape of the neck. She had delicate features, for the most part, and bright gold eyes. The appearance of a classical Fire Nation beauty, however, was ruined by her broad smile, wiry frame, and the jagged scar that ran across one temple, back into her hairline. "The 44th Division, you say? You strike me as someone who isn't afraid of bad luck."

"Ha! I should say not! If four is death, it's death to our enemies. You see this scar?" She tapped one finger on her temple. "A Tumen savage tried to stick me with an arrow. I couldn't have been ten feet away, but he missed! If that's not luck, I don't know what is. The stories I could tell you...well, the Green Dragons are doing fine."

Siensao's grin widened.

"I like stories," she said. "I wouldn't mind hearing some of yours."

* * *

Despite Siensao's assurance, Jomei found himself staying up long into the night. He worried about things, particularly the well-being of his allies in enemy territory, as she'd so aptly put it. Reki drank a great deal and said little, so for the most part, he kept to himself, sitting in the corner of the sparsely populated common room and watching the door. While he waited, he read a little more of the scroll Dongzhou had given him to help work around his earthbending block. It was fairly dull reading most of the time, but he'd happened upon an interesting passage during the sea voyage.

_Bending mastery rests on four pillars: Control, Power, Grace, and Speed. But as all people are not equal, their talents in each area vary greatly. It is vital that each bender be aware of how strongly each pillar stands in their own mind and how to mend the cracks in those that are weakest, for bending, though it strengthens the body, is above all else a spiritual art and gains power through harmony, awareness, and understanding of one's element and oneself._

_Control is the most difficult pillar to build, but the most necessary, for to lack control of one's element is to lack control of one's own mind. For each element, this pillar is structured differently._

Jomei skipped down past the sections on Air and Water to the one on Earth.

_After Fire, Earth is the most difficult element to control, as it requires more power to bend to any degree. A good measure of testing one's control is to bend as much earth as you can, then try and bend it in a specific way, to the exclusion of all else, all the while focusing on trying to bend more earth. When all your willpower is focused on doing one thing to such a degree, your control over other areas is relaxed and eventually abandoned, allowing you to feel what it is like to surrender one aspect of your element in favor of another._

_This also applies to self-evaluation. One must cultivate control over oneself and one's actions. Suggested beginning exercises include eating foods which one finds distasteful, placing oneself in situations that normally provoke anger, and refusing to partake in activities that cause joy for an extended period of time, of one's own will. Cultivation of routines is also recommended as a form of self-discipline. An ordered mind is one under firm control, in one way or another._

Jomei glanced at Reki, staring into her wine as though it held the mysteries of the world, and wondered just how ordered her mind was.

"Hey, Reki," he said. "What do you do if you think you're never in control of things? How do you start controlling your own life when pretty much everyone around you is better at getting things done?"

"Learn from your betters," Reki answered, not diverting a whit of attention from her cup. "Practice until you can do what they do, only to your own liking. Refuse any and all aid from others. Defy the spirits, your countrymen, and your king. Give up bending the elements. Do not work for a living. Then you will have control of your own life, alone." She shook her head. "Learn this: we are all controlled or bound by many things, Jomei. True freedom and self-control is an illusion chased by the foolish. Ask a better question."

"How do I get as much control as possible over my life?"

She nodded.

"Good. Demand to take part in whatever schemes Siensao plots. Submit yourself to Zoukani for training as a soldier. Ask to become my pupil in the warrior's way. Gamble, eat ,and have fun with Kyuzo. Do all these things until you are accepted as an equal by all these people, worthy of inclusion. Then you will be able to assert a little control over your life when you are around them."

To that, Jomei had no answer.

He was still pondering when the door creaked open and Siensao stumbled in, hanging onto Zoukani's shoulder with one hand and leaning heavily on her staff with the other. Kyuzo trailed behind, looking none too steady himself. Her eyes were glazed over, her face was flushed, and upon seeing Jomei, she gave him the biggest smile he'd ever seen from her.

"Vic'try!" she declared to no one in particular, "for the Fire Nashion!"

"For the Green Dragons!" Kyuzo added. By this hour, the innkeeper had retired and only the tired night shift bartender remained. He was startled at first, but settled down after it was clear that no violence was likely to ensue.

Zoukani, rolling his eyes, helped her over to the table, where she sat down heavily, slumping against the wall. Kyuzo sobered up considerably as he drew closer to Jomei, but he still took a seat as well. Reki spared a disdainful glance their way and commented, "Lightweight." She returned to her own drink without paying Siensao any more mind.

"Why are you drunk?" Jomei sputtered, well and truly astonished.

"Eh? Why _aren't_ shyou drunk, thash th'better queshion. Ashk more queshions, Jomei, you don't learn anyshing if you don't ashk queshions." She fell forward towards the table, burying her face in her arms. A muffled groan of pain followed. "And now my nose hurtsh..."

"What happened?" Jomei demanded of Kyuzo, who flinched back reflexively, but answered promptly.

"Well, we met a Fire Army officer named Akani who was heading back to the place we need to go, and, well, Siensao was talking to her and...Akani insisted on drinking an awful lot and she was just trying to keep up. You should've seen it, Akani finally took pity and stopped before we had to carry Siensao back.

"I shtill shay I could've taken her," Siensao mumbled into the table. She roused herself to look up, scrabbling up the remnants of her faculties with immense effort and lowering her voice.

"Jomei...I have a plan for getting to the Tumen. Akani talks a lot when she drinks and she thinks we're mershenaries out of work. I told her..." Her mind worked for a moment, trying to come up with the information she was looking for while Jomei waited impatiently. "I told her we would join the Fire Army!" she exclaimed happily, having remembered.

A month ago, Jomei would have flown into a rage and demanded to know why they had to do such a thing. Now he just nodded wearily, rubbing at his temples. _I just can't work at her level. All I know is that the only way I can think of to get there is walking through hundreds of miles of steppes and I'm sure she's at least done better than that._

"We'll talk," he said.

* * *

A woman bowed in the darkness, touching her forehead to the black wooden floor. She waited patiently for her new master to speak. His voice was all she would ever know about him, most likely, just as her own voice was all he would know about her. Both of them had reasons not to be known to each other. He began, naturally, by praising her skill. They all did.

"The name of your academy has long been known to me as a place that produces the finest operatives in the world. I have been told to expect nothing less than the best from you. I have been told that you have successfully completed every mission assigned." A quaver of fear, so slight only one such as she could have heard it, tinged his next words. "I have been told it was you who was responsible for the elimination of General Shang."

If the woman had been able to feel, she would have felt amused. They all tried to talk themselves into using her, knowing that only a thin shield of legal whim separated themselves and her past victims. She said nothing.

"The Fire Nation faces a most dangerous threat, a threat from within and without. There are those in the world who are powerful and organized, but hide from us. There is one person who wishes to unify them and turn these spider-snakes against us. It would be most costly. This, we cannot allow."

The woman waited patiently for him to come to the point. To give her a name. Nothing mattered but the name, the name of the person who had to die. That was one of the earliest lessons. It was not her place to question, only to remember.

"When the lights are lit, you will find papers with all the information about your target you we have. Her name is Siensao Zhang Ai. It would be better if her death seemed to be an accident or a legitimate casualty of the war. Do you understand?"

The woman spoke for the first time since entering the room.

"I understand, my lord. Are there any further conditions?" Some of her previous masters had forgotten to specify certain things until reminded.

"None. You may use any method and cover you wish, and you will have access to the full privileges given to those of the academy, should you have need of them. There is no time limit, though it is..._preferred_ that you accomplish this mission with all due expedience."

Had the woman been able to feel, she would have felt satisfaction. He was taking this enemy very seriously. That meant it was likely to be a challenge.

"Understood, my lord," she said.

She heard the sound of footsteps, someone walking away. The lantern lights, forcibly tamped down by firebending, now flared up again, illuminating the room with a warm golden glow. As promised, a stack of papers was placed on the desk in front of them. The woman picked up the topmost sheet. It was a portrait of her target. The artist was extraordinary. The woman almost felt her target was looking out at her through the paper. She did not smile, but had she been able to feel, she would have felt joy at the thought of the fun that was to come. She would set out today.


	13. Life Among Ashes

A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! It's a little late, but here's something for everybody who's been reading. A new chapter! The next one is in the works already and I'm really looking forward to what I'm calling the Tumen Arc. Shorter chapters mean more updates, which is more fun for everyone. Here we get to meet the latest characters that will figure in the arc. Thanks, as always, to the spectacular Sylvacoer for her beta work and the providing of great sources for research. Enjoy the show.

* * *

The sun rose upon a world as empty, primeval, and vast as there had been in the beginning. The rolling steppes stretched on forever under a cloudless sky. The dark firs and pines of the gloomy forest shrouded the land in stark green and brown. It was the height of the brief summer upon the taiga, and the land's scattered animal populations struggled to prepare for the looming long dark of winter. Wild ostrich-horses grazed the great grasslands just to the south, and birds of prey soared overhead, searching for their next kill. But even the most fearsome beasts of the wild scattered when they heard a long, wailing whistle in the distance, and saw a black plume of smoke approaching, rising above the treetops. A new kind of beast ruled the forest now, a beast of steam and iron.

The long train flew along the rails, swifter than the fastest ostrich-horse could run, faster than a ship under full sail. The great engine in front blew its whistle again, unleashing a jet of scalding steam into the cool morning air as it sang the machine's joy. The Fire Nation symbol was boldly painted upon the sides of the tender and the boiler, and the polished iron plates and brass fittings gleamed under the growing light. Behind it stretched a line of passenger cars, glorified wooden boxes, along with one flatcar carrying replacement rails and ties, and at the very end, a nicer car with a watchman's post on the top. The fireman sent another blast of flame into the furnace, urging the iron beast on to even greater heights of speed, to make the rails sing. Inside the cars, though, the passengers weren't nearly as excited. For them, the morning meant they were close to war.

"Get up! Move! On your feet, you lot!"

Kyuzo jerked awake as the sergeant-major kicked open the door to their car, almost before the sound of the whistle had faded. He just barely managed to get to his feet and stand at attention in time. Zoukani, beside him, was already awake, fully dressed, and had his blankets neatly folded. The old man was like that. Jomei was just as annoyed as he was at having their rest interrupted, but he scrambled to his feet all the same, clambering down from the cramped bunks lining the sides of the car. Reki and Siensao, back in the women's cars on the rear half of the train, were undoubtedly already awake. The soldiers responsible for their discomfort stalked down the center of the car, checking to make sure everyone was up and listening. After the examples they'd made, everyone was, though with so many people on board, it was next to impossible for everyone to stand comfortably in the narrow corridor down the center, and Jomei's size made him all the more irritable.

"All right, men. This is it. We'll reach the end of the line before mid-morning. Pack up your kit and get something to eat. You'll meet General Okihara for inspection and I expect to see every last one of you bastards looking just a little like real soldiers when you're assigned into your companies. As you were."

He turned on his heel and proceeded to the next car, leaving the newly appointed soldiers in the controlled chaos of packing up. Just before the door slammed shut, they heard him start the same speech over again.

"Get up! Move! On your feet-" _Slam!_

"So this is it, huh?" Kyuzo said to Zoukani, while pulling on a reluctant boot. "Into the inferno and all that. Well, with any luck, we won't have to do a lot of fighting before this whole mess is over with."

Zoukani raised an eyebrow and Kyuzo wilted under the questioning look.

"Okay, so there'll probably be tons of fighting. That doesn't mean I can't dream. We all have dreams, right?"

Zoukani's knowing look scared and shamed the firebender like nothing else and Kyuzo couldn't meet his eyes for long.

"Right?" he repeated softly, staring at his feet. Zoukani's silence was his answer. What was left of Kyuzo's cheerfulness drained away as he turned to the iron stove in the corner, with the sacks of rice alongside, and picked up the coal scoop. He worked without speaking now, occasionally glancing over to the corner where the others were getting ready. Reki and Siensao entered from the same direction the sergeant-major had come. The rule, a holdover from decades past when the Fire Nation first allowed women into the combat ranks was that women were allowed to visit the other cars if they wanted, but not the other way around. Reki was here because she didn't want to be alone among enemies in her condition. Siensao was here to discuss their plans. Reki sat down in one corner, pulling her knees up to her chest and glaring out at the world, her sword clenched in one hand. That hand, do what she would to suppress it, shook slightly. Jomei made his way to her side immediately.

"What's going to happen to you if this keeps up?" Jomei asked Reki in a low voice. He was deeply concerned for her health...and more so, her sanity. In the fevered dreams she had when not drinking, she grew more and more afraid. She looked exhausted and sweaty, with bloodshot and angry eyes.

"What do you think?" she snapped back. "You try drinking for hours most nights and then stop all at once! See how you like it!"

"Well, I said that you should give it up and you never made much of an effort!" Jomei growled. "Don't get angry at me for something that's your own fault. You'll just have to wait it out now."

She glared at him, fury and desperation warring in her face, as though she wanted to say something but couldn't because of the company they were in. The soldiers on either side were listening to their quarrel with great interest, just as Jomei and the others had listened to their own conversations. In the cramped quarters, nothing stayed secret unless it stayed unspoken.

"We'll talk later," Jomei murmured. "I'll listen."

"Good," she said, her rage subsiding into bone-deep weariness "You had better."

After their meager breakfast, there was little to do but sit and talk, but some soldiers passed the time looking out the windows or even sitting on top of the cars to watch the land roll by. Some might have considered jumping off, but there was nowhere to go. The steppes were vast. Anyone a deserter might encounter would hardly be expected to aid a possible Fire Nation spy. The roof was where Jomei and Siensao went, to go over the plan one last time where no one could overhear, where the wind carried away their words across the empty taiga. Reki stayed inside.

"All right," the merchant said, "tell me what happens once more."

"After we get there, they put us in with the rest of the new recruits for one night only before we get broken up and sent every which way."

"A curious practice. Why would they do that?"

"So that we can't do exactly what we've been doing and come up with ways to run off or do anything else to sabotage the war effort with our friends. We're getting around that by meeting with your friend in the secret club you sent the messenger hawk to before we left."

"But how will he recognize us among all the other recruits?"

"He'll be looking for Reki. She stands out in a crowd, especially this crowd. She's not Fire Nation or from this part of the Earth Kingdom and those missing fingers give her away. Once he finds her, she leads him to the rest of us." Now it was Jomei who asked a question. "And then what? You're gambling everything on this guy being able to find a way to get us into the Tumen camp. Suppose he can't do it? What then?"

"We improvise." She gave him a wry smile. "Aren't you glad you aren't the one that has to be prepared for that eventuality and come up with a plan on the spot? Believe me, I know it's a risk, but you don't get anywhere without taking risks."

"No," Jomei agreed reluctantly, "you don't. But I'm not worried about your friend, I'm worried about that firebender. There's nothing to stop him from betraying us at any moment except his word and that's worth nothing. We should kill him as soon as we're out of the Fire Army and we don't need him anymore."

"It isn't his word I'm counting on, it's his fear," Siensao said. "He's more afraid of going back to the army than he is of us. So long as that holds true, we'll be safe. As long as you continue to despise him for weakness, he won't betray us. If there comes a time when he finds his courage and pride, I'll consider what you've said. But I will not kill a man to satisfy your hate. Give me a good reason before you ask me again. All right?"

"Well enough," Jomei finally said with a nod. "But what do we do about Reki? I doubt the Tumen have time to ferment anything and she'll get worse before she gets better."

The merchant sighed.

"All we can do is try and help her through this. I'm counting on her help as much as you are. Our lessons have certainly suffered."

"All right, you idiots, get down from there!" one of their escort cadre bellowed up at them. "We're almost there!"

"Yes, sir!" Siensao answered swiftly. But just before they began the climb back down, the train passed into a wide clearing and Jomei saw part of the Fire Nation encampment, near the outskirts of the forest. A wide swath of trees had been felled, creating an enormous clearing, which was crammed full of wooden buildings, holding pens, and packed with soldiers in red and black. Wooden barricades and deep trenches stretched out to either side, off beyond sight, and Jomei saw some of the tanks that Siensao had been talking about. They looked ugly and dangerous as anything. Sick at heart, he climbed back down the ladder.

The train slowed steadily as it approached the marshaling yard. Beyond the depot where the train disgorged its martial cargo was a roundhouse and another spur which continued on into the east. The iron beast slowed and finally came to a shuddering stop, shedding huge clouds of steam. The wide doors of the passenger cars were slid open and the newest recruits to the great war stumbled down onto the dirt. Jomei was among the last to go. He felt like kissing the ground. _First ships, then trains, and now probably ostrich-horses. What's next, riding a sky bison? I wouldn't put it past Siensao to bring one back from the dead just to make the rest of us uncomfortable._ He didn't want any attention if he could help it. Now that he had a closer look, he noticed the camp was quite well-established, laid out along orderly lines. Tents occupied some of it, and wooden buildings other parts. Smoke rose from cooking fires and forges. The tanks were marshaled in groups of three and nine-platoons and companies-interspersed throughout the camp, with wide roads leading towards the trenches. No doubt traitor earthbenders could bridge the gaps easily.

The recruits, 'guided' by the shouts and curses of the cadre, formed up in company-sized units on the field of churned-up dirt just outside what passed for the gates and waited. They didn't have to wait long. Soon enough, they saw a small group of men marching towards them. Their supervisors roared for the men to stand at attention, and the entire field straightened as one. The morning sun glinted off firebender helmets, spear points, and sword hilts, and brought out the severity of the black and red they wore. General Okihara approached, moving out a little ahead of his escort. It was all Jomei could to do keep from glaring at him with pure hate.

Okihara was a middle-aged man who no longer quite fit the ornate armor he wore, but whose air of command had not diminished with his age. His heavily lined features and grey-streaked hair only added to his presence. It was as if he said to the entire world, _I am not afraid. Kill me if you can._ Not many men would even make the attempt, faced by those penetrating yellow-orange eyes. He looked over the troops briefly, but taking in everything about them. Their slightest faults and virtues were laid bare before his experience and Jomei involuntarily stood straighter and felt dustier.

"I am General Okihara of the Green Dragons," he said. "Welcome to the war. I'd like to say on behalf of the division that we deeply appreciate your loyalty and resolve. We'll do our best to see you through the rest of the war. In return, we demand nothing less than your absolute best at doing the same. With every victory, we prove our worth, our honor. Every foe we slay, every base we take, every inch of ground we win with our blood _proves_ that we are the best of the new generation. I know you will continue to make me proud. We have to look after ourselves, because no one else will. It's the Green Dragons against the world. Best get used to that." The general bowed to all the company, who returned it immediately. He smiled. "Dismissed!"

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the cadre to start yelling orders again, telling them to shift over to the temporary barracks that housed new arrivals. Jomei stuck close to Reki, ready to catch her if she fell. He knew she'd hate him for it. He didn't care. And just beyond her walked Kyuzo, who he knew he had to keep in sight every minute they were here.

As they made their way towards the low wooden barracks, Reki's way was barred by a short, bookish-looking man in deep red robes, a towering hat, and carrying a leather satchel.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said, bowing briefly, "but may I have a word with you? Your hand tells me you're an experienced soldier."

"Say rather, a warrior," Siensao answered, "of the most ancient path."

"Whatever you call them, such folk can still find friends, and I hope I may be one. My name is Hideki, of the Fire Sages. I'm the division historian and I would like to get your perspective upon joining us at the front. May we speak privately?"

Reki raised an eyebrow. _So this is Siensao's contact. He looks like the sort of person the Order would choose._

"I am Reki of the desert," she said to him. "I believe I am such a one as you have been looking for. I will speak with you."

Hideki visibly relaxed with a sigh.

"I am very glad to meet you, Reki, and your comrades. Please, follow me." The group trailed after the Fire Sage. Matters were moving swiftly now, too fast for Jomei's liking. _We've just gotten here and we've found Siensao's friend. Now we need to plan what happens next and put that plan into action before tomorrow. Just as well, though. I couldn't stand another day among these people._

They gathered in the sage's quarters, tucked away in one of the smaller buildings. Like most other buildings in the camp, it was wooden, but with a stone floor made by the division's traitor earthbenders. Sliding the door shut, Hideki abandoned all pretense and collapsed onto the nearest chair.

"Thank Agni you're here!" he said, "I was beginning to despair of accomplishing anything! You're Siensao?" This last was directed at the merchant, who nodded, taking a seat opposite him. The rest of the group arranged themselves about the small table. Zoukani alone remained standing, behind Siensao, ever watchful.

Siensao nodded.

"Yes, I am. I'm sorry we don't have more time, I would greatly enjoy speaking with the man who gave us access to the lore of the Fire Sages. I particularly appreciated _Collected Observations on the Firebending Art_ by Master Kazinagi."

Hideki waved off the praise.

"Such things don't matter anymore. I don't know that they ever did. I did what I did because I was foolish. It is an honor to speak to the leader of the Closed Fist. If I expected to live much longer, I would join your ranks this very moment."

He raised a hand to fend off the inevitable questions.

"Soon enough, you will understand. Suffice to say, I've seen what this war is doing and it must be stopped. My death is a small price to pay to achieve that end."

Kyuzo was shocked.

"But you're Fire Nation!" he blurted out, "how can you say that?"

Hideki turned his haunted gaze on the firebender.

"Are you really a soldier?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Have you fought at the front?"

"Yes."

"Then you of all people should know that it's because I'm Fire Nation that I say it. What we have done...what we are doing, is unspeakable. Once, I was unsure if there was such a thing as evil in the world, but now I know there is and it has corrupted the soul of our nation. The strength of our people is dying on battlefields like this one."

Jomei was unimpressed.

"And what have you done about it, if you hate it so much?" he demanded. "You want to stop this war, pick up a weapon and get to fighting! Otherwise, don't waste our time with a sob story. I've got no sympathy for you. Actions, not words. Am I right, Reki?"

"For a change, yes," she answered. Was that the hint of a smile on her face? He couldn't tell. Probably he imagined it.

"But only on that last part," she added. "Part of being a warrior is knowing when not to fight, when to wait and bide your time to strike when it will do the most damage. That is what this man has done, at great cost to himself. You should not disparage this."

Jomei snorted and said nothing.

Hideki laughed bitterly.

"No, he's right. Please, don't feel the need to defend my cowardice. I've done very little, but I can help you now. I've been saying for a long time now to the general how I want to try and speak to the Tumen to record their perspective on things, but I've never actually asked. I'll ask now and request that you five be my guards. Since you're new, untested, and mercenaries, you'll be expendable. Once we reach the Tumen camp, you'll stay, and I'll go back and tell them the Tumen killed you all and sent me back alive as a warning. That's just the sort of thing we'd expect them to do. It's definitely a one-use tactic, but I don't think I'll get another chance. The Tumen are nearly beaten."

"An excellent plan," Siensao said. "I approve. Is there anything in particular we can do to help once we're there?"

"Wait, that's it?" Jomei blurted out. "That's the brilliant plan? If you've had this long to see everything your nation's done, first, why on earth don't you have anything better, like something that keeps your miserable hide intact, and second...well, why now? Why us? Just because we were here?"

He turned to Siensao.

"I mean, you're the one who's always telling me to think ahead and it seems like this guy would be better off to whatever it is you do alive than dead. You're just okay with this?"

Kyuzo, more timid, raised a hand after Jomei finished.

"I...nothing about this seems right!" he said helplessly. "Couldn't you just stay with us and have the Tumen pretend to have killed you too?"

The Fire Sage shook his head wearily.

"You've said nothing I haven't said to myself already these past months. I'll answer your questions in order. First, the spirits gave me no talent for intrigue and plots. I don't have anything better because it's beyond me to figure out. Second...and second, because the Order doesn't want me sacrificing myself only to place its initiates in mortal peril. They made all manner of arguments as to the value of my life and what I might accomplish for the greater good. But I no longer listen. When I heard Siensao was near, I knew the time had come to act."

He turned to Kyuzo, a gentle, feeble smile on his weathered features.

"The thought never occurred to me and it still doesn't. An honorable man accepts the consequences of his actions and all that they imply, without regret, and besides, I will not abandon my nation, even now. In a way...it is a relief. No, I've dug my grave. It's up to me to lie in it."

Siensao broke the following silence.

"To answer your question, Jomei, it is not my choice to make, as he has plainly stated. Whether or not I approve doesn't matter. But for the record, I approve of bravery but disapprove of needless sacrifice. Again, though, it isn't my place to act on that. Now, Hideki...did you have anything specific in mind for us to do?"

Hideki shrugged.

"I don't know. Tell them to run, I suppose. Save who you can, if you can save anyone. I'll leave everything up to you." He took a deep breath, mustering whatever strength he had left. "You'd better go. They'll be suspicious if you spend too long with me. I'm already being watched."

Siensao stood and bowed once more.

"Thank you for everything," she said softly. "I will tell the Order of your sacrifice."

Hideki looked her in the eye.

"Just promise to make it count for something."

"I promise." _If I can._

* * *

_Reki dreamt. She would have given anything not to, but she dreamt. She stood within the midst of the Womb of Fire, a barren land of obsidian, ash, and molten lava on the far southeast of the Si Wong. It was a great wound in the earth from which the world's hot blood seeped. All about her, the ground was riven by great fissures and cracks, lit from below with demonic red light and burning the air with unearthly heat. The night sky above was blocked by smoke. In the center of the plain of black glass upon which she stood, a body lay, spread-eagled, on the ground. _

_Iron spikes were driven through its hands, feet, and belly. The Punishment of the Five Stakes was reserved for the greatest criminals of the desert. The face was her own, yet not. Her hair was longer, unbound and wild, her ear wasn't notched, and there was a peaceful smile on her face. Reki's feet crunched on obsidian as she approached._

_"Blood Drinker," Reki said. "You will not succeed this day. Just as you have not the last three days. Leave me in peace."_

_The other woman scoffed._

_"You cannot fight the desert. Sooner or later, it will beat you down and wear you away to nothing. Minds weren't meant to be cracked like eggshells, Reki. They must be mended or destroyed. It would be better for you to free me now than suffer for it later."_

_"The world has enough evil without my adding to it," Reki snapped. "You will stay here. I should not even be speaking to you."_

_The Blood Drinker chuckled with dark amusement._

_"And I shouldn't need to speak to you. But let's face it, nobody understand you as well as I do, and the reverse is also true. How can we not speak? Who wouldn't want to know their own mind?"_

_"Have you any new arguments or are you just going to skip straight to bringing up the past?"_

_"Well, since this is the first time we've properly spoken for a while, I have plenty of new memories to prove my point. Like the day you fought Karida, back in Omashu."_

_"It was honorable and just!" Reki snarled. "She insulted my brother! She challenged _me!_"_

_The Blood Drinker only laughed._

_"You meant to tell me there wasn't even an instant in that fight when you liked making her scream? When you smiled at her fear? I was with you then, don't tell me I wasn't. That's why you're running now."_

_"Yes, I was weak!" Reki shouted. "Yes, I'm running again! But for the first part of the fight, I was myself! I was not like you! I can fight with honor still!"_

_"You don't believe that any more than I do. Battle is a dance, Reki, war is an art, and a warrior must fight with passion and life to survive. Without that, you're crumbling. Remember what it was like! When you were feared! When you were strong! You're dying, Reki, and only I can save you! Free me! Free us!"_

_"Shut up!" Reki roared, wrapping both hands around the Blood Drinker's neck. She almost missed the blur of motion, but leapt back in time for the spike in the other woman's hand to draw a line of red along her stomach and not punch into her side. Though blood trickled from the wound in the Blood Drinker's hand, her fingers were clamped firmly on the dark metal._

_"Careful, Reki," she cautioned. "Almost got you."_

_"You won't get free while I live!" Reki hissed, but there was terror on her face._

_"We all die eventually," the other woman said with a half-shrug, bringing her bloodied hand up to lick at it carelessly. "I can wait."_

* * *

A towering wall of clouds drifted in from the northwest, shutting away the sun and sky. Distant lightning lit up the horizon and thunder rolled across the steppes towards the Fire Nation camp. It was a cold grey morning amidst the stunted trees. Jomei awoke to the clanging of a bell. He sat bolt upright, thinking of when Teoro's bells rang to sound the alarm, then remembered where he was. Cursing, he got to his feet.

After breakfast, the assembled recruits were broken up, sent in all directions along the line of the camp, scattered to the wind. Whatever brief friendships they had known were gone. They were soldiers of the Fire Nation now and they went where they were told. All except Jomei and his four companions. They were taken aside to where Hideki waited, looking more grim than ever. He was accompanied by a familiar face.

"Kyuzo? Kusari?" Akani asked, surprised. She grinned. "You never struck me as the suicidal types, what are you guys doing here?"

"Who's this?" Jomei asked, unable to keep all the annoyance out of his voice.

Siensao bowed low.

"I might ask the same of you, Akani," she answered. "But to answer your question, we all volunteered. If this insanity succeeds-and I intend to see that it does-we'll be well on our way to promotions and pay raises. Speaking of which, I suppose we won't have a chance to draw advance pay before we leave." She turned to the others. "Everyone, this is Lieutenant Akani, from back in Lumin. Lieutenant, you've met most of us, this is Jomei and Reki."

Akani chuckled.

"Ha! You presume the Spirit World takes mortal currency. Well, Jomei, Reki, pleased to meet you at last."

Reki nodded.

"And I you," she said.

"Ma'am," Jomei said, frowning.

Siensao rolled her eyes.

"They aren't terribly friendly, I'm afraid. Occupational hazard."

"So it is," Akani said. "Well, I volunteered for more or less the same reasons as you, but also because the general wants at least one veteran on this jaunt. No offense, but you did just get here, and he's worried Hideki is going to get himself killed and the Fire Sages will hold him responsible."

Hideki sighed.

"I have taken all responsibility on myself," he said. "General Okihara told me I could only accept volunteers and if any of you were killed due to my foolishness, he would denounce me to the Fire Sages and ask that I be removed from the division. Even if I survived such an event, I imagine I'd be executed once I return."

"You know, there are probably better ways to learn about our enemy," Siensao remarked. The only clue to how urgent her question was her eyes, which were fixed on Hideki's own. The Fire Sage shook his head.

"No, this must be done. My life is nothing compared to our nation."

"You will be remembered with honor," Reki said quietly.

Hideki stood straighter, seeming to grow exponentially in assurance and peace.

"Thank you," he said with quiet confidence. "We should set out at once, before the rain gets here. Is everybody ready?"

_I can think of one person who won't need to have their death faked,_ Jomei thought, glancing sidelong at Akani.

Siensao spoke for them all.

"We are."

"Then may Agni light our way in the darkness."

Akani had commanded they speak as they marched, to let the Tumen know they were coming and hopefully preventing the tribe from killing them on sight. Soldiers bent on destruction in enemy territory were unlikely to advertise their presence. At least, that was the theory. But steppes devoured sound as the desert did rain, leaving nothing but the wind and the sky. The tall grass underfoot rustled in the cool breeze, concealing even their footsteps, and the black earth muffled their footsteps. The group of seven would quickly have gotten lost if it weren't for the three firebenders. Able to sense the sun, even locked away behind the clouds, they kept the group on course, steady as a compass. That fragile connection was all that guided their steps through the vast expanse, towards the Tumen camp.

Hideki led the way, holding a flag of truce on a tall pole. Jomei doubted the scrap of cloth would stop an arrow, but if the Fire Sage wanted to get himself killed, the miner saw no reason to stop him. _Doesn't matter how bad he feels, he did nothing. That's what matters. That's all! _Just looking at the skull-faced helmet Kyuzo wore made him mad. He was almost glad Akani was an officer and didn't have to wear one. Kyuzo was doing most of the talking, rambling on about whatever subject crossed his mind. This suited Jomei just fine. He tuned out the sound of the other man's voice and concentrated on watching for any sign of the Tumen. They were perhaps two hours into their journey when the first drops of rain began to fall. As Jomei glanced up at the sky, he sensed a telltale tremor shudder the ground beneath his feet. _Earthbending!_ But he did not have time to shout the warning.

Four earthbenders, exploding up from the ground around them, worked together to raise four earth walls around them, enclosing them in a cage of earth, studded with torn-off roots and clumps of smaller rocks. Arrow slits opened up in the sides, revealing archers clambering out of the same hideaways the earthbenders had used, nocking arrows to their bows. Jomei raised his hammer, fighting desperately against his instinct to strike back, fight for his life, make them pay!

"Peace!" Hideki shouted, his voice shrill with terror. "We surrender! We come in peace! We're an official delegation from General Okihara!"

The next moment was eternity to the prisoners as they waited for deliverance. Only Reki seemed calm. Her hands had stopped shaking and she looked confident. Ready for anything.

"Stay behind me, sir," Akani snapped at the Fire Sage, pushing him back with one arm. "We have not confirmed they aren't hostile."

"Fire Nation!" one of the ambushers shouted back, finally. "If this is another offer to surrender, your heads will decorate our camp!"

"It's not!" Hideki answered. "I'm a Fire Sage, a historian, a...a storyteller! I've come here to learn!"

Another long silence followed, then the Tumen man spoke again, sounding confused.

"Explain! And make it fast!" The rain had begun to fall harder, turning into a cold drizzle that made the ground into mud. Jomei was thankful for his straw hat once more.

"In his wisdom," Hideki said, calmer now, but still frightened, "the general desires to understand the stories of his worthy adversaries. I wish to learn whatever wisdom you possess. These soldiers are only my escort. I was afraid you would kill me before I could explain. But clearly, you are as open-minded as I thought. I must speak to Chieftain Tsangansar."

This time, the group heard murmuring from outside their cage, and some violent objections to Hideki's statement. Eventually, it stopped, and one wall of the pen was lowered, revealing a few archers and an earthbender, all crouched behind a low wall. Their green and brown leathers easily blended into the woods, and they wore dirty fur caps with earflaps. Hideki took a tentative step forward.

"Not one step further!" the earthbender warned. "Throw down your weapons! And any benders will have their hands and feet chained before you go anywhere!"

"No deal!" Akani shouted back, still standing in front of Hideki, before he could say anything. "We won't leave ourselves at your mercy! What on earth can seven of us do to you?"

"You can do enough! And we won't take scorpion-bees into our camp without drawing their stings! Give up your weapons or die here!" The archers bent their bows with an ominous creaking sound.

"Fine! Don't take us into your camp!" Akani said, raising her hands. "Take us to some other place where we and Tsangansar can talk! Bring in more warriors! Surround us with the whole damn tribe! But if all you want to do is kill us, we won't go down without a fight!"

"Lieutenant, what are you doing?" Hideki hissed, his face white with fear. "We must agree!"

"Nobody chains me up again!" Jomei snarled. "I'll die first!"

"I will not give up my sword," Reki said flatly.

"I agree with Akani," Siensao murmured to the Fire Sage. "Just let us do our job, sir."

The earthbender motioned for the archers to lower their weapons.

"Fine! You'll stay right here while the chieftain decides if she wants to see you or not!"

"Give her this!" Siensao shouted, holding up a small piece of wood, then tossing it over to land in the mud just in front of the earthbender. He picked it up cautiously and wiped the mud off, revealing a white lotus Pai Sho tile.

"What's this?"

"A token of our esteem," Siensao said. "It won't kill you to do this for us, will it?"

The earthbender shrugged.

"Whatever. Wait here. And don't move. My people can split a grass stalk from three hundred paces."

He did not leave in the conventional manner, but instead, used earthbending as a catapult and leaping high in the air, swiftly vanishing out of sight. Jomei watched, impressed and envious. _Will I learn how to do that? That's amazing!_

"Kusari," Akani said, frowning, "what just happened? Why did you give him a Pai Sho tile?"

The merchant looked at the firebender, her expression not giving anything away.

"It's not a tile, it's a medallion shaped like one, made from ebony and ivory. I figured a good old-fashioned bribe might make the chieftain more politely disposed towards us. She also might think there's more where that came from. Which there is."

Akani didn't look convinced, but didn't inquire further. Jomei noticed she put herself between Hideki and the rest of the group. The Fire Sage seated himself in a corner.

"Sit down, everyone," he said. "I think we've managed it. We just need to wait."

"Can't we at least get a roof?" Kyuzo called out at the Tumen. "We'll freezing to death in here!"

Laughter and jeers answered him.

"Aw, does the little firebender not like our weather? Tough!"

"Maybe it'll wash off the smoke and soot all you people bring with you!"

"The clouds are your roof, sky-scorchers! Now you can breathe for a change!"

Jomei didn't dare earthbend. He laid his hammer down in the mud and sat on it, tugging his hat low over his eyes. Reki had pulled on her head wrappings. Kyuzo was complaining about the rain pinging off his helm. _This is going to be a long wait,_ the miner thought sourly.

Jomei had no idea exactly how long they waited, with the sun hidden from view. Kyuzo claimed it still wasn't midday when the chieftain arrived. All he knew was that it was too long and by the time the Tumen earthbender called out to them again to stand up, the rain was seeping through his oilcloth cloak at the collar and his hands were stiff with cold. He stood, picking up his hammer once again. Tsangansar of the Tumen, leader of the last Earth Kingdom forces on the steppes, stepped forth in front of them. Though he'd seen too much to be easily surprised, she wasn't what Jomei had expected.

Tsangansar was an old woman, older than Okihara by far, by the look of things. Her hair had gone completely white and her gnarled hands were clamped around a wooden staff upon which she leaned heavily. She wore the same green and brown leathers as the other Tumen. Her eyes were half-closed, as if she were sleepy, and her speech was slow and labored. But there was nothing foolish about what she said. She pointed at Hideki.

"I grow hard of hearing in my old age. You. Come over here and say what you have to say." She held up Siensao's Pai Sho tile. "Which of you gave me this?"

Siensao bowed.

"I did, Chieftain."

"Come over here too. I appreciate your taste in gifts."

"I go where Hideki goes," Akani said, holding back the Fire Sage with an outstretched arm.

"No you don't," Tsangansar said dismissively. "If we wanted to kill him, we'd have done it already, and we both know it. Hurry it up so we can get out of this rain! My bones are aching awfully."

"Don't worry, Lieutenant," Hideki said, gently pushing her arm down. "I'll be fine. Remain here and guard the others. You can consider that an order."

Akani saluted, but without enthusiasm.

"Yes, sir."

Hideki and Siensao approached the elderly Tumen woman.

"Who knocks at the garden gate?" Tsangansar murmured.

"Two who have eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries," Hideki answered. "All the other members of our company are loyal, except for Akani."

"Very well, we'll kill her and be on our way. You can explain why you're here back at camp."

"Wait," Siensao said, "I don't want her dead. She can still be of use to us."

Tsangansar's gaze snapped over to the merchant.

"Explain how, girl."

"Interrogation might provide some useful information, or we may even be able to convert her to our way of thinking. Failing that, we can release her to sow false information in the Fire Nation ranks."

"So that's how you think, is it? I was going to keep her alive in case of future prisoner exchanges. Very well, then, stand aside. We'll make it quick."

"All right, you can all come out now! I've agreed to your request!" Tsangansar called to the group, who cautiously filed out of the earth walls. By now it was taking a lot of effort to maintain them in the face of the relentless rain, and as the Tumen earthbenders relaxed, they collapsed into piles of mud and rocks. As the group approached Tsangansar, she raised a hand. The archers bent their bows once more and the earthbenders dropped into battle stances.

"But before we head to the camp, we need to take care of something. Lieutenant Akani, you're to surrender or die. Either is fine with me."

Akani was confused but defiant.

"What? Why just me?" Looking around at Jomei and the others, none of whom looked surprised, she realized immediately what was going on.

"Mercenaries," she said, making the word a curse. "I would've thought you'd be smart enough to pick the winning side. The Tumen can't possibly pay you more than we can. But this isn't a spur-of-the-moment thing, you planned this, with the tile and everything. You...you had this in mind from before we first met in Lumin, didn't you? What's really going on here? What was the point of it all, to give the Tumen a half-dozen more warriors? You don't strike me as suicidal, who are you?"

"You don't really expect me to answer any of that, do you?" Siensao asked, raising an eyebrow. "Come with us peacefully and you won't be harmed. Unless you think you're faster than a dozen arrows at this range. Do hurry, I imagine the archers' arms are getting tired."

Akani raised her hands, disgusted.

"I surrender. You'll just trade me back within the month. We both know that."

"Quite possible," Tsangansar admitted, "but not as much as you might think."

As iron shackles were brought forward and locked around the firebender's wrists and ankles-Jomei's smile was unnervingly wide-she took a moment to speak to Kyuzo, who had come forward, taking off his face plate and looking deeply ashamed.

"Ma'am, uh...I...uh..." he began.

"I wanted to like you, Kyuzo," she said sadly, "I really did. I'm sorry things turned out this way. Look, if I do wind up having to kill you at some point...well, there's no hard feelings on my side."

"Yeah," Kyuzo said miserably. "No hard feelings."

With that parting shot, she let herself be led away, chains clinking. The rain swallowed everything. They were now truly alone.

Comedic Interlude

Siensao: *still drunk* And in the future...card games will be played on motorcycles...and we'll have horseless carriages called...automobiles...and that...is why the secret of the universe is a nectarine! Do you get it?

Jomei: *sighs* No. I think you've had enough.

Siensao: Weeell, they did say that third Gargle Blaster could cause spontaneous combustion, but I think I'm doing all right. *collapses and begins snoring*

Reki: Feh. I've seen drunker. I've been drunker, for that matter. What do you want to bet her brilliant plan turns out to be nonsense in the morning?

Jomei: I don't take sucker bets. Hey, Fire Nation, you were there, did the plan seem good before she started drinking?

Kyuzo: *shrugs* She didn't tell me what it was. I just blow things up.

Siensao: *temporarily revives* Flames! Explosions! Burning things! Yeah! *collapses again*

Jomei: *groans* Didn't there used to be a fourth wall here? Or did you blow that up too?

Kyuzo: Honestly, I think Reki's more knowledgeable than me about that.

Reki: But that can be remedied with our good friend alcohol. Like I need another existential crisis. I direct your attention to exhibit A. *gestures to adoring fangirl enclosed in a nearby cage*

Fangirl: I'm the first thing you think of! Yes! You noticed me!

Reki: Do you have an indoor voice or must you punctuate every sentence with an exclamation mark?

Fangirl: For you, my love, I'll speak in 8 point size font if you'll only listen. Is this better? Or do you like it better in Helvetica? Anything you want?

Reki: How do you do that with your voice?

Fangirl: I have a limber tongue. ;D

Reki: I'm going to start ignoring you now. Emoticons are a bad sign.

Jomei: Yeah, I think we're done here. What a night.


	14. Tears of the Sky

A/N: Another year, another chapter. I'm hoping to finish the story this year and start work on my next project, but we'll see how things go. Thanks as always to Sylvacoer for beta work. If you haven't already, go and read her stories on Deviant Art, they are well worth the time. Enjoy the show.

* * *

The spirits wept upon the world. It was pouring rain, and the freezing wind blew across the steppe, visiting misery upon besiegers and besieged alike. In the Fire Nation camp, tanks bogged down in the mud, komodo rhinos took out their notoriously short tempers on anything breakable, and all firebending did was spread scalding steam over the practice fields. Among the Tumen, things were not much better, their herds becoming more troublesome than komodo rhinos simply through sheer numbers, and the various chores of the camp being made ten times more difficult. But they took it in stride: anywhere the Tumen laid down to rest was their home. Miserable and muddy and desperate as it was, Jomei still saw peace here, as he rode into the camp, saw a people still alive.

Their homes were circular houses of cloth stretched over wooden beams, meant to be dismantled and moved easily. Many of them showed signs of hard use and not enough repairs: a people in flight have little time for anything but the most acceptable shelter. Animals were everywhere, tethered outside the tents, kept in earthbent pens, but most simply roamed the grasslands outside the circle of tents. Ostrich-horses were the most visible, of course, but many varieties of sheep and goats bleated their displeasure loudly. Tsangansar's cart creaked to a halt just in front of him and he had to haul back on the reins to stop his mount, which gave an annoyed squawk. _Damned bird. It's a wonder these people don't walk around bow-legged all day and even more amazing they can have children at all. Ships, trains, ostrich-horses. I'm keeping an eye out for that sky bison._

He winced as he clambered down from the animal's back, his boots sinking into mud. Tsangansar gestured to the tent they'd stopped in front of, no bigger or fancier than any of the others.

"This is my tent," she said. "You may enter, but please observe the customs. Men sit on the west side and women on the east. Do not speak loudly or gesture wildly. This is a place of peace and comfort in troubled times and I will see it stay that way. Do you understand?"

"Of course," Siensao said, bowing her head.

"You're the boss," Jomei said with a shrug.

"Just get me to someone who has wine," Reki mumbled from her place in the cart.

Seeing the glare Jomei was sending his way, Kyuzo laughed nervously.

"Ah, maybe I'd better look after Reki while you guys talk."

"That would be best," Siensao said, sounding apologetic. The Tumen chieftain ducked inside the felt walls, and she, Hideki, Jomei, and the ever-present Zoukani followed. Jomei glanced after Reki, worried about letting the Fire Nation soldier look after her, but he wouldn't try anything surrounded by enemies. He might be that stupid, but not that brave.

At the center of the tent, ringed by stones and dirt, burned a small fire, the greasy smoke drifting out through a hole in the roof, the only window in the cramped confines. Jomei had to step carefully, avoiding the many possessions crammed inside to find a place on the west to sit down. Tsangansar herself took a seat in the north, directly across from the door, folding one leg under her body and tucking the other up to her chest, resting her chin on that knee. Siensao promptly imitated her, and the three men followed suit. Working underground, you got used to cramped spaces.

"If you would like something to eat," Tsangansar said in a near-whisper, "I will share what I have. But as I understand it, your chief needs are of the mind, not the body." She fixed Siensao with her gaze, wrinkled hands clasped under her chin. _Beats me why she's got to whisper,_ Jomei thought, annoyed, _the walls are thick enough that nobody can listen in as it is. I don't like having to strain to hear anything._

"It has been a long time since a member the Order sought us out. Nearly all Tumen initiates answered our call many years ago and none of our people have since entered your ranks. The White Lotus has done little to stop the destruction of the Tumen, perhaps it is because we have so little left to offer them. Our ways have been chronicled, our customs understood, our people reduced to ink and paper. What use do you have for a dying people, Siensao? Why do you seek us out now, at the end?"

"Not everyone among the Order thinks that way," Hideki spoke up. "I apologize for interrupting, but I must say that many of us do not fight because we are afraid or because we feel it is our duty not to. We are not those people."

"Indeed, there are those among us who believe the time has come for the Order to fight at last," Siensao answered the chieftain, equally quietly. "I speak for the Closed Fist. To make my words heard among the Senior Masters, I am on the Path to the Horizon, along with Jomei. I was told your people knew the ways of Air, so I have sought you out. Will you teach us?"

Tsangansar regarded her in silence for a while. The fire crackled in the stillness.

"Have you heard the news?" she asked. "We only received word from my remaining friends within the Order two days ago. The Avatar has returned."

Siensao's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly before she caught herself. For his part, Jomei was stunned and even Zoukani looked surprised.

"Can you confirm this?" Siensao asked, her voice a little louder. "Does this news come from reliable sources?"

"The Fire Sages themselves have declared it," Tsangansar said, with a glance to Hideki. "The last airbender walks the world once more. All contact we have had with the Order since that message deals with him. Always the same thing. Do you know where he is, they ask us. Is he one of you? It seems as though an airbender might seek refuge among a people who stand humbled before the Eternal Blue Sky. I had thought you were merely another such person, sent here because the Order doubted our word. Does this change your purpose?"

Now it was Siensao's turn to think for a time. Jomei stared at the fire, afraid he might give something away if he looked at her. _After a hundred years of nothing, suddenly the guy's back? If he's really an airbender...even if he was a baby before the Fire Nation wiped them out, he'd be over a hundred years old! What on earth was he doing all this time? Why did he pick now to come back? What did he come back for? To hell with that, what's the fastest way to find him so I can knock out a few teeth, assuming he has any left?_

"No," Siensao said at last, "it doesn't. I can't act based only on that information. Besides, it's better to assume his failure and prepare for it."

"Damn right," Jomei agreed. "One man against a nation? I don't care how powerful he is, he's got no chance. We still have a war to win."

"I was not told of this," Hideki said, showing a hint of anger for once. "If I had been told, I would have left immediately to try and seek him out. I suppose the Order wanted me to stay at my post. I know the Fire Nation doesn't trust me for good reason, but this...those fools!"

Zoukani's face remained impassive, with no hint as to what was going on in his mind.

Tsangansar nodded.

"If you truly wish to bring the Order into the war, I will teach you. But if you are to learn our ways, you must work and fight with us. Also, you need to prove you are not children. Children contribute nothing to the camp. Make something useful with your own hands and bring it to me tomorrow. You will be guests in the home of my eldest daughter. She has lived alone since her husband and son were killed in the fighting and would welcome the company."

Siensao bowed as much as she was able, displaying no hint of the growing cramp in her leg.

"Thank you. We will return tomorrow, then."

"I could make a few Fire Nation corpses," Jomei muttered, "there's something useful."

"You think children can't kill?" Tsangansar asked him grimly, "Any fool can dispatch a wounded pig-sheep. Make something besides corpses, Jomei. We have enough of them already."

"I suppose it is time for me to leave," Hideki said, getting to his feet, "my work here is done. I would have greatly enjoyed learning more of your people, but I must return to my own."

"Why?" Tsangansar asked. "You are welcome among us."

In a few words, Hideki laid out the methods by which they had come here and his own decision to retain what honor he had left, as he put it. Tsangansar let out a sigh.

"Is there nothing I can do to persuade you? Honor can be regained later, but death cannot be undone. Sometimes there is nothing you can do but run."

"That is not true," Hideki said, "you always have a choice and I choose honor and my nation."

"It seems a foolish thing to die for," the chieftain said, shaking her head. "You could do a great deal of good still. Would you deprive the world of that?"

"Whatever good I might do, I will not go against my nation. I am sorry, but I don't wish to discuss this any further."

"Very well," Tsangansar said, rising to her feet, "then I will bid you farewell and wish your soul well on its journey to the Eternal Blue Sky." She picked up a little charm of colorful beads and feathers and offered it to him.

"This is a good luck charm I made when I was much younger," she said, "and now it is a token of our gratitude for your efforts. Take it with you, that you might have the scent of our people and freedom as you go."

_Jomei dreamt. He stood atop a moving train, travelling swiftly across the steppe. Storm clouds were on the horizon and approaching fast, with lightning clawing across the sky._

_"Hello, Grandad," he said._

_Hanhei was sitting on the edge of the car's roof, looking away from him._

_"Jomei," the spirit said, "I think I've given you enough for free. I think it's time our partnership became more equal. I'll continue to teach you techniques: in exchange, you carry out my..requests. One technique for one action. That's fair, isn't it?"_

_"Do you want me to fetch an exorcist?" Jomei snapped. The world flickered and now the train was passing through rocky foothills, winding past sheer cliffs and overhanging rock faces. It also seemed to have sped up, the wind whipping past at a roar._

_"Go ahead," Hanhei invited him, looking over his shoulder at Jomei with a confident grin, "see if I care. We both know you'll never give up something as helpful as me. You'll listen to what I want and then, when you see it's only a little thing, you'll do it."_

_"What do you want?" Jomei growled._

_"Just this: you've never asked how and why Jura became involved in your little escapade back in Omashu. But since Siensao arranged everything, she must know why. Ask her about it."_

_"I know why," Jomei said, a little too loudly, "she did it because we're family!"_

_"Who told you that? She did. Seventeen years and you think you're still family? She says she's had to forget you and you think of her as family? Things change, boy. But by all means, don't believe me. If you're so confident, ask Siensao about it. Do that and I'll continue teaching you the stone edge technique."_

_The train now passed into a dark tunnel, and he could see a fiery light at the end of it and feel burning heat. Still Jomei stood, unable to tell the old man off. Everything Hanhei had said was true, even if he was trying to get Jomei to distrust his own sister. He hadn't wanted to think about it. But Siensao did keep a lot of secrets...didn't he deserve to know a few?_

_"All right," he said, bowing his head, his cheeks burning with shame, "I'll ask her."_

* * *

In the gray hours of the dawn, as golden light touched the eastern sky, Kyuzo stumbled through the Tumen camp, bleary-eyed and bone-tired but unable to find sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Akani suffering outside in the drizzle while he slept warm and dry inside the tent, probably awaiting a brutal execution as soon as Siensao decided she wasn't useful or Tsangansar tired of having to keep her around. Because of him. And he saw the sadness in Hideki's eyes as he trudged across the steppe, a long red dot on the grass, his back bent. He could picture the Fire Sage's own death. Because of him. And if things kept on as they were, more Fire Nation soldiers would die, just like the rows and rows of casualties he'd seen on his way to the front, a field smelling of blood and death and the noise of a thousand buzzing spider-flies out on the battle site. Because of him. It was all his fault. He should have died like he'd been told to. Better death than this half-life was leading.

As he moved through the camp, too frightened to light a fire in one hand to see for fear they'd cut him down without asking questions, he saw the place coming to life. It was like a strange mirror of what he'd seen in the Green Dragon camp the other day, in another life, when he could still pretend he was doing the honorable thing.

It wasn't like a military camp, it reminded him more of his hometown, on the coast. The rhythm of life here was more subtly woven, with men and women moving about on the ordinary tasks of life. There were no younger children, though, and none of the older ones acted like children. They had pride in doing an adult's work. It was madness. _What kind of people brings wives and children to war? Why aren't they more disciplined? Their survival is at stake, shouldn't everything they do be focused on that?_ In the Fire Nation, it was well known that those who couldn't fight had no place on the battlefield. Even camp followers knew the risks. If battle threatened, they might well find themselves pressed into the ranks and given a spear to hold.

They were like animals in that they were always sniffing the air, or smelling each other. And they avoided him like a plague, not even getting as close as they would have if they were having a formal meeting in the Fire Nation. Everything here stank of country life and the smell of ostrich-horse was strong enough to make his eyes water if he got too close to the herds. He wasn't surprised the windy steppe was the only place they could live. But no matter how bad they smelled or how stupid they were about their families, it broke his heart all the more to see them this way. _They live and die as a people. I can't help but respect that._

But now he was approaching where they kept Akani and he swallowed hard at the thought of the meeting. _We might use prisoners on the front line or execute them, but we don't treat them like this!_ There were no guards, no one could be spared to spend their time watching a worthless prisoner. But neither were any tents pitched nearby and many of the warriors contrived their tasks to take them nearby often. Kyuzo made sure the white ostrich-horse feather he'd been given as a sign that he was permitted to pass about the camp was prominently displayed before walking to the edge of the earthbent pit. In the faint light, the opening was like a black hole in the grass.

"Akani?" he whispered, leaning over the edge, "it's me, Kyuzo!"

A brief burst of flame singed his nose and briefly illuminated the pit, showing Akani with her mouth open, having spat flame. Not many firebenders could do that in sufficient quantities to harm, but as his nose could attest, if the enemy was within spitting distance, sometimes you didn't need much. He ignited a small flame in one hand and held it out over the edge.

Akani stood in the cold mud at the bottom, her arms tied behind her back. It wasn't impossible to use ropes to restrain firebenders, so long as you knew how, but it was painful for the firebender. Somewhere along the line, she'd lost the tie that held her topknot in place and her hair was plastered to her head and face with the drizzle and mud. He was surprised that they'd let her keep her armor, but then, nobody wanted to risk untying her to take it off, and given the way they avoided him, he supposed they had their reasons.

"Akani, please, listen to me," he begged, "I need to talk to you!"

"Unless you're here to free me," she answered, "then we've got nothing to talk about, traitor! You made your choice!"

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen! It wasn't supposed to be this way!"

"Well, perhaps you can tell me just what was it supposed to be like? What did you think would happen when you agreed to betray your nation? Are you stupid enough to think you could commit treason and not have to deal with the results?"

"I didn't know this was what she had planned!"

"You knew she had something bad planned and that should have been enough! There's no half-assed way to turn traitor, you're either with us or against us, all the way!"

"I gave my word of honor! She said she wouldn't ask me to fight my own people!"

"Oh, merciful Agni, you really are that stupid..." Akani sat down, leaning her head back against the dirt wall. "So you're too much of a coward to just go over to the Earth Kingdom, you thought you could pay off this woman and then go your own way. It doesn't work like that. Never has. You never get something for nothing."

"I know, I made a mistake, but I was desperate, they were going to torture me to death and there was this girl and...well...why are we here?"

For the first time, Akani stopped looking angry and just looked confused.

"Excuse me?" she snapped.

"Why are we here, why is the Fire Nation here, in the Earth Kingdom?"

"To win the war, of course," Akani answered, still sounding dumbfounded by the question, "was there ever any doubt?"

"But...what for? What's the point of it all? We have all the resources we could possibly need, we rule half the Earth Kingdom! What's the point of more? What good is it doing for us to die? We're obviously the superior nation, nobody can dispute that now, how will conquering the rest of the world make that point any more clear? Why are we here?"

Akani sighed.

"Another one, huh? I run across your type from time to time. Look, I'll put this as simply as I can: we need to win this war for our people to survive. If we stop now, we might as well slit our own throats and save the enemy the trouble."

"I...don't understand," Kyuzo mumbled.

"Yeah, I'm guessing that goes for a lot of things with you," she said with a snort, "So just listen and I'll explain. Suppose you count everyone in the world. Does the Fire Nation, colonies included, have as many people as the Earth Kingdom?"

"No."

"Does the Fire Nation have as much resources, counting all the mines and farms securely under our control, than the rest of the world?"

"No."

"Then why are we winning the war now?"

Kyuzo was only more confused. These were basic questions, the kind a child might be asked.

"Because our machines and tactics are more advanced and we took out key Earth Kingdom assets when Sozin's Comet last came. And the Avatar is dead."

"Right. But the Earth Kingdom has talented minds as well, and even now, they're working to copy our machinery and designs from what they've captured. Suppose we stop now, declare peace, say we won't go any further. Do you really think the Earth Kingdom will just roll over and let us take half the lands that used to be theirs?"

"Well...no."

"And since they still have more people and more resources than us, once they do come for us again, they'll be ready. They'll have all the advantages we have and superior numbers. And in the meantime, resistance in the newly occupied territories will keep us spread thin and wear us down. The Water Tribes will grow bolder. And our people will lose heart because they'll know we could have won, but we didn't. Agni, maybe the Avatar will even return, who knows? They say he already has." She shook her head. "No, the only way for us to survive is to win this war so completely that nobody will dare rise against us. If we finish the war, most of the world will give up without a fight. The only way out for us is to keep fighting. You understand now?"

"I understand," Kyuzo said miserably, "but...well..."

"Spit it out, soldier, the faster we finish this the faster you go away and leave me alone. I can hardly kill you for treason with my arms tied like this."

"Maybe we deserve to suffer as much as the other nations have."

"Really? And why would you think that?"

"I...well..." He sighed. "In some of the conquered villages...I saw things. The people hated us. Even after months of our government, they hated us. If the Fire Nation is superior, shouldn't they welcome us?"

"People are frighteningly ignorant about what's best for them," Akani said. "Surely you know that."

"Yes, of course, but a lot of the Earth Kingdom people I've met aren't ignorant at all. And it wasn't just killing in battle! Once, when I went through a recently captured village, the troops were..." Words failed him at the memory. The screaming and pleas for mercy. The shrieked curses. The laughter of the Fire Nation soldiers. "What kind of people do things like that? What kind of people are we?"

"The kind who win, whatever it takes," Akani said grimly. "I never said it was a good thing. I know what you mean, Kyuzo, I've seen a lot more of war than you have. It gets ugly out here. But when we win, the killing stops. Just focus on that. It all stops when we win. That's all that matters. If we can get through this, it'll all be worth it."

Kyuzo shook his head.

"I...I don't know. I just don't know anything anymore."

"That much is obvious," Akani muttered. "If you decide to grow a spine, come back here when you're ready to help me escape and I'll make sure you at least get a quick death on our return, if nothing else. I promise you, the rest of the Green Dragons won't do as much. We're coming for these pig-sheep, and you don't want to be with them when we catch up."

* * *

The rain still fell, little more than a heavy mist. The ground was still muddy, and dew glistened on the grass in the grey morning light. The clang of steel on steel rang out across the steppe. For the third time that morning, Siensao found herself sprawled on the ground, thankful for having the sense to wear her oldest set of clothes today. Reki had recovered quickly and resumed their lessons with a vengeance.

"You have been neglecting your practice," Reki said, reaching down to help the merchant up, "but given that I was not capable of teaching and such things would not have been practical during our time at sea, that can be forgiven. However, I think it is time we spoke of the methods of war. You still have a worthy goal, as I said, but have yet to learn how to achieve it. Suppose you do convince this Order of yours to fight. What then? How will you succeed where all the armies of the Earth Kingdom have failed for the last hundred years?"

Siensao looked uncomfortable.

"I'd really rather not say. When you get drunk, you talk, and well..."

"I might let something slip, yes. If this weren't the case, though, would you tell me?"

Siensao's hesitation did not go unnoticed.

"You're ambitious," Reki admitted, "and you might succeed. But not the way you're going about it. You don't reward your allies for their service and you sacrifice people too willingly. Hideki didn't have to die."

"How else could we have gotten here?"

"Kill the sentries and desert in the middle of the night," Reki said matter-of-factly. "The only difference would be that you'd be held directly responsible. This is also as I said: you are afraid of actually fighting. You are too concerned with keeping yourself and everything you do secret."

"You have secrets as well," Siensao noted.

"I keep mine for a good reason You keep many of yours because you can. Why else do you keep Zoukani around?"

"I can't risk my plans being betrayed," Siensao hissed. "In any case, the only reason I'm not telling you this is because you drink too much."

"What about Jomei?"

"Jomei is...indiscreet. He might give away something without meaning to."

"All right, let me put it in clearer terms: who would you trust with all your plans for the world? Who would you trust enough to tell everything about yourself and what you mean to do?"

Siensao looked away from Reki's accusing gaze and said nothing.

"Part of the reason you've been doing so well at the Dance of the Whispering Winds is because avoidance of harm is second nature to you," Reki said. "Your actions in battle do not lie. You are afraid and you must overcome it before you can move on to the next Dance."

"And what would you recommend, master?" Siensao said, her calm reserve back in place.

Reki pointed to where Jomei had just emerged from the tent they'd been sharing, yawning mightily.

"Give up a secret. If not to me, than to him. One secret that you'd rather not speak about. We must begin with small steps. I mean to include Jomei in the next part of today's lesson; I will wait."

Jomei approached the two women with his usual apprehension, which was only amplified when Siensao turned and walked over to meet him halfway there, leaving Reki behind. She didn't quite meet his eyes, her posture guarded.

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked.

"Jomei...it has been brought to my attention that I have been less than forthcoming with you about many things. I must apologize. If...if there is something you wish to know, I would like you to ask."

Jomei could hardly believe it. Hanhei couldn't have predicted this...could he? Did the crazy old man really see the future. _No, don't start buying into the old man's crap just because of coincidence, idiot!_ But he wasn't about to let the chance slip by, not when he'd finally built up the courage, so he blurted out,

"How did Jura get involved in the whole prison break scheme in Omashu? I never asked her to. I never even told her about it and Reki never even met her. So I know you brought her into it. What did you tell her to bring her into it?"

Siensao came close to fear in that moment. That was the worst possible question he could have asked and whatever answer she gave, something would go wrong.

"Yes," she answered, frantically searching for an answer that would satisfy both Jomei and Reki, "I asked her to participate once I found out she was an excellent earthbender, if only with the _golem_ form. It fit in perfectly with the plan and her loyalty was absolute. As for her reasons...well, I never asked, but I would have to say...she did it out of love."

Jomei was immensely relieved. But then another thought occurred to him.

"How did you find her, anyway? Omashu is a big city, it seems pretty incredible that you'd just run into her."

"Believe me, I was as surprised as you," Siensao said, also relieved to be back on safer ground, "but it was only chance. Unless you believe in destiny."

Jomei made a sour face.

"Not likely. Well...thanks a lot for telling me that. And here grandad almost had me thinking my own sister was playing me for a fool somehow."

"You've been talking with Hanhei again?" Siensao asked. "You've been warned not to trust him and you still listened?"

Jomei raised his hands, grinning sheepishly.

"Hey, I never claimed to be smart, that's what you're here for. Anyway, I've got my 'useful thing,' for Tsangansar, you ready to head over to her place?"

"We're not quite finished with lessons, but Reki wanted you to attend the rest. I'm not sure what she has in mind."

"Can't imagine I'd make a very good swordsman," Jomei said with a shrug, "but I'll listen."

"Learn this," Reki said to her two pupils, "to lead in war, as in life, you must lead by example, by your actions. If they are worthy, warriors will follow you and you will earn the respect of your people. Do not eat well when your warriors are starving. Do not remain within your tent when they shiver upon the sands. Always be the first to charge and the last to retreat. A leader can be killed anywhere, it is best to face battle rather than shrink from it. If your talents run to tactics but not to swordsmanship, you are an excellent advisor but you cannot lead from the front and cannot earn the respect of your warriors, for no one can respect a leader who has not endured the same hardships and accomplished the same feats as his followers have. Hold to these principles and you will encompass the essence of what it is to lead."

"I think that's the most I've heard you say at once since we met," Jomei said, a sort of half-smile on his face, "and I'm curious...why tell this to me? For that matter, why tell it at all? You're always saying about how you hate fighting."

"I still do," Reki answered, "and I tell it to you because you must learn of war now that we face one, and though I am a poor teacher, I will do my best. But my lessons are not lectures. Both of you should go and help the Tumen with their herds. Return when they pronounce you worthy."

Jomei shrugged.

"When I have the time, sure."

"Of course," Siensao said, "but for now, as Jomei said, we need to speak with Tsangansar."

The interior of Tsangansar's tent hadn't changed, but sitting down in the Tumen fashion remained mightily uncomfortable, so Jomei thought. The chieftain herself still spoke quietly enough that he had to listen carefully.

"So," she said softly, "what have you made that is useful?"

Jomei wordlessly took the battered straw hat from his head and offered it to her. It had been a gut-wrenching choice, but his trade was useless here and there had been no time to get dry grass to make another hat. It was all he had to offer.

Siensao held out a small calligraphy brush with both hands.

"While I made it a long time ago, I hope it is still acceptable," she said, bowing her head.

"What is useful is always acceptable," Tsangansar said, taking the brush, then turning her gaze to Jomei. "I have no wish to deprive you of a hat in our weather," she said gently, "so I will give you one in return." She reached over to where one of the Tumen wool caps hung on a peg and the two exchanged hats. The cap was quite warm, Jomei admitted, and it fit well enough, if a little loosely, but he was certain he looked ridiculous.

"Thanks," he said, "it means a lot."

* * *

It was another bright and sunny day in Lumin and Kuboda the customs official was enjoying it as much as he could, which was to say he was bored out of his mind and his writing hand was cramping again. This next ship coming into port was riding low in the water, which meant lots of cargo to write down. It was days like this he almost wished somebody would try to bribe him, at least then he wouldn't have to write more things down. A single passenger accompanied the captain on his way over. _Another desert woman. That's two in three days. _He took a closer look, glad for a legitimate diversion. The woman wore a sword at her side - he suspected it might just be because of some desert custom to walk about armed, since no one with such a bad limp could actually be expected to fight. The woman quietly waited her turn whilst Kuboda saw to the captain's papers, a pleasant change from the usual impatient demands he heard daily. His berthing slip and cargo manifest in order, the captain returned to his ship without so much as a farewell to his passenger.

"Have you seen this woman?" she demanded as soon as she stepped closer, before Kuboda could wish her welcome or ask for her papers, slapping a single printed sheet on his table. It was a Fire Nation wanted poster for a women called Reki, who was clearly the other tribeswoman he'd run into the other day. He skimmed over the list of charges, noting it was quit extensive. Now he was well and truly curious, but he knew enough to keep his face blank and bored.

"I could check our records for someone of that name," he said, "but I see so many people come and go, you understand, that I lose track, and if I begin checking all the records, people will be bothered and they'll want compensation for time lost. I hate to mention money, but if there's anything you could do..."

"I'm in a hurry and I'm in no mood to trifle with," she snapped, "I'm not going to ask again!" He felt the stone under his feet dissolve into sand, then reach upwards to take hold of his feet in a stone-hard grip. He stifled a yelp.

"Answer me or I'll start breaking bones," she hissed. "Have you seen this woman?"

"Yes!" Kuboda answered in a voice about an octave higher than normal. "I saw her come through Lumin three days ago, traveling with four others! I can look up the names for you if you want!"

The sand abruptly relaxed.

"That's all I need to know," the tribeswoman said, a little calmer now, and began walking away.

"Uh, I'll need to see your...papers...and..." He trailed off when she looked back at him and raised her hand again.

"Enjoy your visit to Lumin!" he said, pasting a ghastly smile on his face, and she turned and left. He breathed a sigh of relief. No, today was not a good day.


	15. Lightning on the Plains

A/N: As always, thanks to my editor, Sylvacoer, for her hard work in making this story what it is. The poem Alaghai recites is taken verbatim from _The Secret History of the Mongol Queens_ by Jack Weatherford and is not my own invention, nor do I own anything related to that book. Or The Last Airbender series, for that matter. But I hope you enjoy the show anyway.

* * *

Jomei watched oblivion advance on the horizon. He stood upon a low ridge, out on the steppe, with the Tumen camp an hour's ride behind him, aching again from spending so much time in the saddle. To the east, dawn's light grew steadily brighter, though not enough to defeat the dirty orange glow from the south and the roiling black clouds that came with it. A rain of hot ash preceded the clouds, coming towards them in swirling black torrents. Siensao and Tsangansar stood beside him, the Tumen chieftain showing every one of her years as the red light cast deep shadows upon her face.

"That," Tsangansar said, "is what I brought you here to see. One hundred years ago, at the beginning of the war, when the Earth Kingdom forces in these lands called for aid, we rode out to do battle with the Fire Nation. They let us and our allies meet, and let us assemble to do battle. Then the comet came, and we were all gathered in one place. That day nearly destroyed us. We returned to the steppe, where, after the comet departed, they could not best us in battle. That was when they first scorched the skies, turning their fury upon heaven and earth alike. They began burning the steppe, starting at the southern and western edges and working north and east. Having penned us in, they proceeded to conquer the northwestern Earth Kingdom. We fought them, of course, tried to stop the fires, but a single firebender on a good day can burn many miles of grass and all the earthbending in the world can't stop such fires when we arrive too late. The steppes are vast, but that has never been such an evil thing as it is now."

As Jomei listened, his face began turning the same red as the fires to the south and his fingernails dug into his palms nearly hard enough to draw blood, his fists were clenched so tightly. _Those...bastards! How can anyone do this? Why haven't the spirits blasted the whole Fire Nation off the face of the earth for this? I swear they'll pay for this and everything else!_

He glanced to Siensao and even his building fury vanished upon seeing the calm indifference on her face. It made him shiver. _It's only because we're not much better than they are that we _can_ fight them._ She made no comment, but he could take a guess what she was thinking. _I'll bet it's the same thing she'd have done if she were on their side._

"Now," Tsangansar said, continuing her story, "we have been driven nearly to the edge of the forest. Beyond that lies the tundra, where we cannot live after summer passes. If the Fire Nation cannot defeat us in battle, they will starve us out and kill us like beasts run to ground. The Ash Lands are too wide to cross in such numbers as we are without losing most of our herds and many of our people, either to starvation and thirst or Fire Nation attacks. That, out there, is the end. It is the death of my people...if we cannot break free somehow. If any of you can help us do that, you are truly the answer to our prayers. So..." She turned around to face them. "Do you have any ideas?"

Jomei shook his head.

"All I know how to do is fight. So I think you should fight. Get across these Ash Lands with as many people and animals as you can save. It'll take the Fire Nation another hundred years to burn back the other way. Maybe you'll have time to get back on your feet. I don't know. But I'm with you every step of the way."

"Are there no allies you can call on?" Siensao asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"The great Earth Kingdom cities of the northwest are long since destroyed or conquered, in part because of our failure," Tsangansar said, shaking her head. "After our defeat, we refused to leave the steppe to fight until it was too late for them. The Northern Water Tribe remains neutral, as it has done for generations. Omashu and Ba Sing Se are either too distant or have too much to do to defend their own borders. General Xing's resistance in the Wudang Mountains will not aid us, he has made that quite clear. His supply lines will not support ten thousand of us and our herds and we would be of no use fighting on the mountain slopes. So as you can see, we are quite alone. Have you any other suggestions?"

"What are your plans?" Siensao asked. "Surely you have some ideas of your own? I would be quite interested to hear them before I share my opinion, so I don't suggest something you've already thought of."

Tsangansar considered the merchant in silence for a while before speaking again.

"When you have learned what you can from us in the time that remains, the next place on your path to make for is Jukana, a Water Tribe colony on the northern coast. I can't tell you where it is, but the fisherman Jighasuci in the town of Arvaikhir is an initiate of the Order and he can take you there. I can provide you with a guide to the town when it is time for you to leave."

Siensao nodded. _Can't blame her – if even the Order has abandoned her people, why should she trust us with her plans. But I can make a pretty good guess._

"If I were in your place, I would have my people split up and head south through the Ash Lands in many small groups. The Fire Nation can't catch all of you and in small numbers you can move fast enough that more of you would survive than if you continue on as you are." Siensao picked the bowing head off a tall blade of grass, scattering the fluff around its seeds.

"It would mean the end of the Tumen nation, but, at least, its people would survive to carry on your traditions. However, you'd need something to keep the Green Dragons busy, or they would simply divide into smaller units as well and chase you all down. It's not my place to suggest it, but...perhaps you could summon a 'divine wind?'"

Jomei looked at her, puzzled; the Tumen had ties to the extinct Air Nomads, but she couldn't be suggesting…

Tsangansar regarded Siensao with a new wariness, her frown deepening.

"What are you talking about?" he asked the merchant, unable to contain his curiosity.

Siensao coughed delicately. "The 'divine wind - a suicidal attack meant only to inflict as much damage as possible before dying. What I would do myself would be to cripple the Fire Nation's mobility through various forms of sabotage and the elimination of key officers to inhibit their response time, rather than such an attack, if I had the resources. Unfortunately, I don't. That is what I propose."

Tsangansar watched the south in silence.

"Supposing that I adopt your idea," she said at last, "what parts would you and your people play?"

"I'd be with the attackers," Jomei said without hesitation, "to make sure you survive and get out of there when the fight is done. Hideki was bad enough. I don't want you to die for no reason too."

"Where Jomei goes, I must go as well," Siensao said, outwardly calm, but hiding her frustration at the miner's willingness to throw her plans to the wind to indulge in death-wish 'heroics'. "He and I are on this journey together."

Tsangansar nodded.

"Well, if I move ahead with your plan, when I call for volunteers for the attack, I'll expect the two of you to prove what you say. Come. The day is here and I would not have it find us idle."

The three travelers turned for the camp, riding in silence.

* * *

As Siensao made her way towards the shaman's tent, Kyuzo, hands twitching like he was on the edge of a nervous breakdown, accosted her.

"Hey, can we talk?" he asked, voice low, his bloodshot eyes darting all over the place. "I'm sorry, I know you're busy, but it's _really_ important."

_Oh, of all the…!_ The man was coming apart at the seams right in front of her, and Siensao couldn't help a small pang of pity at the sight.

"Yes, of course; you know I'll do anything I can to help. What's on your mind?"

Kyuzo tried to speak a couple of times, then finally got out, "I don't want to do this anymore!"

"What don't you want to do anymore?"

"This! All of this! What you do! All of it! People have died because of me! People are suffering because of me! I'm a traitor to the Fire Nation and traitors die! I...I want...I need to find the right thing to do but I can't see it. Please, help me. You got me into this, you can get me out, right? Right?"

Siensao held up a hand.

"Calm down, Kyuzo. Nothing is going to be resolved as long as you're not thinking clearly. Take deep breaths."

Doing as she said, the firebender's nervousness visibly decreased, but did not go away.

"Now," Siensao said, "I promised I wouldn't make you do anything that went against your morals. It's only natural for a moral man to doubt his actions, especially when they seem to go against everything he's been taught since childhood." She took a deep breath, gauging his reaction to her words. " But everything you're feeling right now relies on one question. What is the Fire Nation?"

"I...don't understand." He was like a child, wanting comfort; Siensao was happy to provide it.

"Is the Fire Nation just a place? Is it the villages, towns, and cities that call themselves Fire Nation? Is it the people who live there? Or is it an ideal to uphold? Is it a dream to follow? You see, I believe that there are a great many wonderful things about the Fire Nation, and I believe Hideki when he told us that those things, the Fire Nation's soul, were dying because of this war. So if you believe that the spirit of the Fire Nation is not, at heart, one that would condone this much war and death, then what you have done makes you the furthest thing from a traitor. It makes you loyal to what the Fire Nation really is. So do you believe that the Fire Nation you dream of living in could do what it has? Just this morning we saw the ash clouds on the horizon from where they're burning their way towards us to finish off the Tumen. Would Kyuzo's Fire Nation do all of this?"

Kyuzo found himself unable to answer.

"Let me put this another way. Suppose you did return to the Fire Nation under some other name and they sent you to fight again, as you know they would. Could you continue to fight knowing that it's people like you that might kill Jura and many others like her, because of an unjust war fought for the sake of pride and greed? Could you go back to the Fire Army, having seen what you have and knowing what you now know?"

"...no," Kyuzo whispered miserably, "I can't go back to the Fire Army." _You just didn't want to admit it,_ a smug little voice said in his ear. "The nation I love doesn't do things like this. But the Fire Nation is a place, a people, _and_ an ideal, and I can't just take them apart from each other. I can't be a nation of one!"

"There are others who feel the same way you do," Siensao said to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Back in the homeland, you've seen how much your people are giving up for the war. Some of them have had enough. And the colonies are beginning to chafe under Ozai's iron fist. You are not and never will be alone. Look, I understand. You want an end to this war but one that leaves both nations intact. So do I. If the tide of the war turns enough so that neither side is getting anywhere, we'll finally have leverage to hold peace talks."

"Fire Lord Ozai will never agree to that," Kyuzo murmured, but something inside him was stirring. _Is that hope? After so long?_

"Leave that to me and my friends," Siensao said firmly. "We can be very convincing." _I find a knife in the heart is especially convincing. I suppose Princess Azula will have to go too if the reports are anything to go by. But one thing at a time._ "So, Kyuzo, I say this, people are not dying and suffering because of you, they are doing so because of people like me and Fire Lord Ozai. I admit, sometimes I make mistakes. That's why I need people like you around, good, honorable people to tell me when I've gone too far, and I thank you for telling me this. I wanted to be more open at the beginning, but I was afraid you wouldn't agree to it. I see that was a mistake."

"Well...you're welcome. But...if I help you, it'll still just be as guide. I won't fight my own people. And when our agreement is finished, I'll go back to the homeland and work for a peaceful settlement to the war. I can't do any more than that. It's the right thing to do. I know that now."

Siensao nodded, breathing an inward sigh of relief.

"And one more thing. I want Akani freed."

"Out of the question, I'm afraid," Siensao said apologetically. "For one thing, Tsangansar would never agree, for another, she may yet be of use to us. If you can give me a good reason, one that hampers our enemy's cause and helps ours, to release her, I'll take the matter up with the chieftain. But for now, she'll have to stay where she is. I'm sorry."

"All right," Kyuzo agreed, "I'll think of something, then. Look, I really want to thank you for your help. I was just really lost there...I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't talked to me about these things."

"That's what I'm here for," Siensao said, giving him a friendly clap on the shoulder. "Don't ever be afraid to come back if you have any other problems. And I look forward to hearing your idea to save Akani."

The firebender moved off, waving farewell, and Siensao allowed some of her satisfaction to show through in a little smile. _Perfect._

* * *

Jomei's intended teacher turned out to be one of Tsangansar's sons, a middle-aged man with a beard flecked with grey, tremendous bushy eyebrows, and a frown that could give Jomei's customary grimace a run for its money. His name was Ganzorig, and he swiftly proved himself to be, in Jomei's mind, a much better instructor than Dongzhou.

"I'll tell you the truth," Ganzorig said, arms crossed, as the two of them stood just outside the camp, "You'll never be a Dust Drinker, an earthbender on horseback. I've seen you around the camp and you've no talent for horsemanship. I can't teach you most of our better techniques. What I can do is teach you the basics of movement. In our kind of fighting, if you aren't moving, you're dead. Dust Drinker students learn that first and techniques to make it happen. But the basic concept is the same. I know earthbending as they teach it in the cities usually means standing still while you bend. We teach techniques for bending while you move. It isn't easy. You need to be fast, I mean lightning fast, to pull it off, and it's not remotely precise or controlled. But it is powerful. Do you think you can handle that?"

Jomei, wearing an enormous grin on his face, bowed respectfully.

"Oh yeah," he said, "I think I can. Where do we start?"

"Like I said, with basics." With that, Ganzorig flung both arms upwards the earth under his feet _jumped_ and the man shot up into the air, so high that Jomei had to shield his eyes against the glare of the sun to spot him. For a moment, he seemed no bigger than a sparrow…than an eagle…then Jomei leapt back as Ganzoring landed, the ground shaking as though a boulder rather than a man had plummeted to earth.

"There's the _wind walker_ form," he said, standing straight. Jomei knew better than to question why the man's legs weren't shattered bits of bone and flash He made a shoving motion to one side, one foot sliding across the ground in the same direction and was suddenly ten paces away. "And the _lightning stride_ form. The last one, though I can't show it to you this close to the camp, is the _rolling thunder_ form. Like the _wind walker_, but at ground level, you're carried along on a chunk of earth. Those are the three best techniques for moving around a battlefield. That's what I can teach you."

Jomei nodded, trying to contain his excitement.

"Then let's get started."

* * *

Siensao entered the tent of the Tumen shaman with a little apprehension, but greatly interested to learn more of how their minds worked. The woman within was sitting at the northern side of the tent, waiting patiently and glanced up at her with an unnerving stare.

"Pardon me," Siensao said, "but are you the shaman Alaghai? Your chieftain sent me to speak with her."

"Yes, that's me," was the answer. "Be welcome at my fire, Siensao Zhang Ai. Your name was told to me by the chieftain when you arrived and I have sought to learn what I can of what currents carry you through the sky."

Alaghai hardly looked much older than Siensao herself, with strands of black hair poking out from under her tall fur hat, very light brown eyes, and strong arms, but she had the distant gaze of someone a little further from the mortal world than most, someone attuned to signs and portents only she knew the meaning of.

Siensao took a seat, on the women's side of the tent, close enough to the door to run, but not so far away that the other woman would feel insulted, glancing about at the variety of what she assumed were spiritual devices scattered about the tent. Most of them were unrecognizable.

"And what have you learned?" Siensao asked.

Alaghai began reciting, her voice eerily sing-song.

"_There is a chieftain's daughter_

_who steps on in a swinging manner_

_and has the marks of twenty tigers_

_who steps on in a graceful manner_

_and has the marks of thirty tigers_

_who steps on in an elegant manner_

_and has the marks of forty tigers_

_who steps on in a delicate manner_

_and has the marks of fifty tigers_."

She stopped, and her pale eyes regained what little focus they had possessed.

"That is what I see written across the sky and in the blood of the earth. You defeat danger because you are dangerous yourself and to yourself most of all. You would learn our ways, but not for their own sake, nor for that of wisdom. Nonetheless, it may be you will learn more than you think. I will teach you what I can. But first, there are two questions you must answer."

"Ask them," Siensao said, still polite, but taking the shaman's words as the warning they were. Alaghai had some spiritual power, but how much was the question.

"When was the last time you laughed and the last time you cried? When did you last laugh for joy without deceit, and cry in the midst grief without thought for else but your sorrow? It is true our people are taught to remain calm in the face of misfortune and good fortune alike, but the Eternal Blue Sky brings laughter and tears, each in their own time and in their right place and they should not be denied."

Siensao's eyebrows rose.

"Those are very personal questions," she said at length, "I don't know if I can answer to your satisfaction."

"It does not matter. Your answer will tell me what I need to know. Answer as you like."

Siensao looked down at the smoky fire.

"I last laughed and last cried on the same day. I was ten years old. It was the best and worst day of my life. I respectfully decline to say why, but I hope I've answered your questions."

"You have," Alaghai assured her, "More than you know. It is important for me to teach you, I understand now. Destiny works in mysterious ways."

"On that," Siensao said, "we can agree."

* * *

As the day drew on, Kyuzo found Reki firmly encamped near the main stash of _airag_, sipping at the sour-smelling drink, her sword lying across her lap, watching the sun sink into the west. Siensao was not learning the most important lessons Reki had to teach her, by no means due to her own faults. _What made me think I could do better this time around?_ The teacher had recognized the student, and the teacher was failing. _Why did I think I could teach what I don't know myself? How do I teach myself not to be myself?_ Before she could continue trying to solve Siensao's problems, she had to deal with her own, and _that_ was something she did not look forward to. Not one bit. She wasn't even sure it was possible.

While she pondered the problem, Kyuzo approached, looking similarly occupied. She watched him walk up with a knowing look that nearly made him turn back, but either determination or desperation drove him onwards.

"I have no answers for you," she said to him before he could speak, "or at least none that would do you any good. The smart thing to do would be to walk away before you get hurt."

Kyuzo gave her a nervous grin.

"Maybe, but not the fun thing to do." His heart wasn't in the joke. "Look, if you really don't want to talk, I won't bother you. I just thought since we sort of understand each other, maybe you'd have an answer to my problem."

"Tell me," Reki said, her eyes narrowing, "how, exactly, do we understand each other?"

"I've sort of lost my nation," Kyuzo answered flatly, looking lost at the thought, "and I'm not having much luck finding it again. We're both caught up in this war that we never wanted to get involved in. And we have to put up with people we'd normally avoid. That's what I mean. And no offense, but I don't want to end up like you at the end of it."

"No offense is taken," Reki assured him, "That is a worthy goal. But I'm already failing one student. What do we have to talk about?"

"I just have two questions for you, then I'll leave. Is that all right?"

Reki shrugged.

"Make it quick, I want to watch the sunset in piece." She took a long drink, making a face at the flavor. She was definitely acquiring a taste for it, though.

"Do you think I can find hope and good in the middle of this war?"

"No," Reki answered, and her tone made it clear she would say no more of it.

Kyuzo chuckled.

"Well, it was a thought. My second question is how can I convince Siensao and Tsangansar to release Akani?"

"Have you finally discovered some stirring of loyalty?" Reki asked, raising an eyebrow. That was something she hadn't expected to happen for some time yet, but people surprised you.

"I'm not going to sell out anyone here to the Fire Nation, if that's what you mean," Kyuzo said. "I just don't think anyone deserves to be treated like she is now."

"On that, we agree." Reki muttered, "But I can think of no way her life can be spared. The merciful thing would be to kill her. No one will object too loudly."

"I won't kill her! And I won't let someone else do it either!" Kyuzo insisted.

Reki sighed.

"No, I hardly expect you to. You are too...virtuous for war, Kyuzo. I have no doubt your comrade is prepared to make her sacrifice, and you do her no honor in pleading like this."

"I'm trying to do the right thing, okay? Do you have an answer for me or not?"

Reki opened her mouth, but whether to condemn him further or give him what he sought he didn't find out, for an enormous hand came down on his shoulder and whirled around to come face-to-face with Jomei's hulking figure and dark scowl.

"What are you doing here, Fire Nation?" he demanded. "You trying to convince Reki to join you ash-eaters?"

Kyuzo looked up at him, remarkably calm.

"You know, I'm getting really tired of you calling me that," he said. "I have a name, you know. You're welcome to use it. I don't figure you'd want to be called 'Earth Kingdom.'"

"I know you have a name and it's really amazing how little I care," Jomei sneered. "If it were up to me, you'd be down in the next pit over from that other yellow-eyed bitch, whatever her name was."

Kyuzo's eyes flashed with a momentary _something_ that took Jomei aback…but it was gone too quickly for him to be certain he hadn't imagined it

"Her name is Akani." The smaller man was serene, uncannily so. "And I suppose if you could you'd just bury her alive, too."

Reki watched the two men bicker without comment. _If I can't drink in peace, at least I get a free show._

"Probably, yeah. Not like she doesn't deserve it."

"So, I'm curious, then. How exactly is that different from what Kanetsu did to you and your village? Aside from the fact that he kept you alive, I mean."

"I was innocent. She's not. And you're not."

"I was captured in my first battle. And I didn't want to fight in the war but I didn't have a choice. Those who refuse to report for conscription are executed for treason. What could I have done?"

"Died, and done us all a favor," Jomei said. "You should have died rather than fight this war."

"And if it were the Earth Kingdom who had come to you before your village was conquered and drafted you into the war," Kyuzo asked, "what would you have done?"

Jomei opened his mouth to answer...and couldn't find one. He thought he heard his grandfather laughing. Kyuzo capitalized on his silence.

"You'd have done the same thing I did. And I think you know it. The difference between us is that I've admitted my nation's in the wrong and I want to help stop the war, and I don't want to use violent means to do it. If the Earth Kingdom was the nation that had attacked and you were winning the war, I wonder...would you be brave enough to do the same?"

"I don't deal in what might have happened!" Jomei snapped, one hand darting out to take hold of the firebender by the collar. "I deal in facts! And the fact is that it's the Fire Nation that needs to go down and you aren't even brave enough to fight for what you believe in, _if_ you really believe what you just said, which I doubt!"

Kyuzo refused to rise to the provocation.

"Believe it or not, Jomei, that's something I regret a little. Sometimes I wish I was like you, able to fight. But I'm not. I'm not a good soldier. I think it might have been easier for me and everyone else if I was. Now could you let go of me, please? I'm sure you'd rather I was elsewhere."

"Damn right," Jomei muttered, turning him loose. Kyuzo walked off with his head held high, leaving the earthbender rather shaken. _I'm nothing like he is! He and all his kind deserve what they get! There's no use wondering what might have happened! We're _not_ the same!_

"Well," Reki said, "what do you know? He's finally growing that spine."

"And I'll snap it over my leg," Jomei growled. "He'll never be a match for me. And he's still dead wrong. You agree with me, right?"

"On many things. But not about this. It's stupid to hate someone because of what nation they're from. You should try and despise people on a personal level. That's much better."

Jomei chuckled.

"Why not both? Enjoy your drink, Reki." He turned and walked away. But he couldn't stop thinking about what the firebender had said. _He's wrong. He has to be._

* * *

**Comedic Interlude**

Kyuzo(visibly annoyed): How come Jomei and Siensao get to be psychoanalyzed and learn cool bending moves and stuff and I get to curl up into a little ball and think about what I've done? If we'd stopped by Jeong Jeong's place like I wanted I could have at least improved my firebending. As it is I haven't had any fight scenes. I want to show off my terrifying berserker rage! Both of them have done that too! When do I get into the club?

Reki: When you explain how your backstory made you a terrifying berserker. I used to be an insane desert warlord. Jomei has a pathological fear of helplessness. What've you got?

Kyuzo: When you put it like that...maybe I'm good with the quivering helplessness thing. And what do you mean _used to_?

Reki: Well, I'm not a warlord anymore.

Kyuzo: Oh, good, that's what I thought.

Fangirl: You'll always be a warlord to me!

Reki: Wonderful. Go and kill Karida for me.

Fangirl: Okay! (runs off, leaving Reki to blink in surprise)

Reki: I get the feeling I've just done something horrible.

Jomei: If you really want to fight, why don't you go with her, Kyuzo? Seriously, you won't be missed. Well, unless my aim is really off today.

Siensao: Please don't kill my guide yet. And I think we're about done with this discussion.

Kyuzo: (sighs) I wish Jura were here...


	16. Passage Through the Smoke

A/N: Thanks as always to Sylvacoer for correcting the most grievous errors in my work and for her patience in offering solutions. This arc actually wasn't intended to go on for quite so long, but the story has sort of expanded as I've been rewriting it and I expect that to be the case for the next arcs as well. Hopefully I'll finish it within the year, but I won't make promises I'm not sure I can keep. I'll do my best, though. In any event, I'd sure appreciate knowing what my readers (all five of them) think of how things are going. Enjoy the show.

* * *

Private Yasuraki was seriously considering starting a fire. It violated the strict laws in place that forbid so much as a stray spark on the steppe outside the Green Dragon camp and it would earn him a punishment harsh enough to make his great-grandfather wince. It would be something he'd be ashamed of for the rest of his life. But it was getting so hard to hold back the urge. Power in firebending came from fury and there was so much of it within him that it demanded expression, screamed at him for release. In battle, that wasn't a problem, but he'd been stuck just looking at these damn fields for months now without so much as a skirmish and it was driving him insane!

Fortunately for him and the camp at large, it was at that moment he spotted something. Squinting off into the east, he saw a solitary figure _walking_ along the shining steel spur of the railroad that ran off into the desolate east.

"Hey, sir!" he said to the watch commander, who was throwing dice with the rest of the watch rotation, "We've got company. One man on the railroad tracks, heading straight for us."

Corporal Akashi roused himself from his doze at once, standing up to gaze out where Yasuraki was pointing.

"Yeah, I see him too. Keep an eye on him, I'll pass the word and we'll get a couple rhinos out there to bring him in before he gets any closer."

As Yasuraki continued to watch, he saw the stranger continue towards the camp at the same slow pace, then pause to wave. _I hope he's a threat,_ the sentry thought idly, _then maybe I could burn him down._ The thought comforted him, as it always did. It was important to be optimistic about these things.

The komodo rhinos, irritable and restless from their long stay away from the comforting heat of the Fire Nation, made excellent time, thundering across the steppe with great speed. Each animal carried two riders, a firebender in front and a spearman in back. As they came right up to the intruder, they halted, puzzled. He wore a Fire Army uniform with the Green Dragons patch on the shoulder, but no helmet. He looked bedraggled and dirty, and quite excited to see them.

"Who goes there?" the lead rider snapped.

"Look, much as I'm flattered you think I could take on all four of you plus the rhinos, you're not going to need all of that," Kyuzo said, raising his hands, a nervous smile on his face. "I can explain everything, really."

* * *

It was another grey day, the sun having vanished again behind another wall of clouds closing in on them. And in the dim twilight, that grey color pervaded everything, turning the world hard and stony. It was, Kyuzo thought, a reflection of those people ruined by war. Jomei, Reki, Siensao, all of them were that way, and he wasn't far behind. In a place like this, he was finding, he couldn't just trust his heart and his instincts to do what was right. He had to be…less virtuous, as Reki had put it, just to survive and do any good at all. He had to think of himself…because no one else would out of the kindness of their heart. I guess it's up to me to be better than they are…as much as I can.

He'd been waiting outside the tent, thinking over his idea and what he planned to say to Siensao. Now, finally, the merchant stepped outside, yawning. Seeing him waiting there, she nodded politely.

"Good morning, Kyuzo. Can I help you?"

"Actually, I was thinking maybe I could help you," he answered with a little grin. She raised an eyebrow, a curious smile flitting over her face.

"I'm listening."

"Just hear me out on this," he said, trying to hide how fast his heart was beating. "You asked me to tell you if I had an idea on how to save Akani and still help out you and the Tumen. I've got one. I'll head back to the Fire Nation camp and surrender to them."

* * *

Kyuzo was hauled into camp with his hands and feet shackled so that he could hardly walk, slung over the back of a rhino. After bouncing merrily along and turning his front side into a mass of bruises, he was thrown into an iron-plated room and told to wait. They _really aren't as friendly as I'd hoped_, he mused with a newfound cynicism that he didn't much like. _Back in prison again. At this rate I ought to take up a musical instrument or get some tattoos._

He looked around the room and nothing he saw did anything to lighten his mood. There were some mysterious stains that looked awfully like blood on the floor, with a few on the interrogation equipment and tables. The racks of sharp instruments were the only clean things in the place and their gleaming edges did nothing to reassure him. _Oh yeah, I'm in trouble this time. I knew this was a bad idea, but…as they say, no good deed..._

After a brief waiting period, the door swung open again, admitting a small group of people. He was popular, apparently. To his surprise, it included Okihara himself. The general looked rather grim nothing at all like welcoming, bluff warrior who had greeted them at the depot only days before. Those with him were a mixed crowd. Two of them were big and didn't seem too bright…the thugs to hold him down and do the grunt work. One of them had some nasty-looking scars and most of his fingers were horribly mangled, having been broken and healed badly. That, Kyuzo guessed, would be the questioner. The remaining person was a mystery: draped in a brown hooded cloak, neither remarkably tall or short, Kyzuo could not even tell if they were a man or woman.

Kyuzo stood as straight as he could and bowed to Okihara.

"Sir! I'm…uh…honored by your presence."

"Don't be," the older man answered him gruffly. "You're under the gravest of suspicion, Corporal, returning nearly unharmed from the enemy camp, days after Hideki came back. That means at least one of you is a liar, and possibly both of you, if you've turned traitor. I'm here because it's my duty to see the results of the orders I've given for your questioning. Kazehano, proceed."

The scarred man saluted.

"Sir."

He gestured to his two thugs and they hefted Kyuzo like a sack of rice and slammed him onto the nearby table. While his cuffs were unlocked, it was only so he could be secured to the cold iron with built-in cuffs there. Kazehano approached with a measured step, circling around to examine Kyuzo from every angle.

"I will give you a chance to speak first," he said. "Be aware, if what you say now is not consistent with what you say once we have begun, it will go badly for you."

"Like I said, I can explain," Kyuzo said, his voice shrill with fear.

"Then do so. You have our full attention."

* * *

"Kyuzo, your plan has gaps big enough to sail a warship through and it puts you at extreme risk with no surety of success," Siensao said. "The only reason I'm entertaining it is because it would give you the chance to gather intelligence about the camp's organization and weaknesses for a possible attack. Tsangansar actually wanted to speak to you about that today but if you agree now, I will so inform her."

"You want me to spy on my own people and help you kill them?" Kyuzo asked, feeling a little sick at the thought.

"No, I want you to save lives. Our goal is simply to cripple their mobility, not to kill. But they mean to kill all of us. So by doing this, you save lives, both Tumen and Fire Nation. Your plan is too risky merely to satisfy your concerns about Akani. Good intelligence, however…that would be worth the risk. So before we go any further, Kyuzo, I must have your agreement about this."

Seeing him still wavering, she added, in a low voice,

"Isn't this what Jura would want?"

"Of course," the firebender said softly. "I've always known that. She's the best thing to happen to me since I came to the Earth Kingdom. But I don't know if she could respect someone who turns his back on his people. I know you can, you've told me as much, but she and I...well, she said she respected me because I still refused to betray the Fire Nation, during the whole time I was in that prison. It showed I had honor, even if I had nothing else."

"One can respect an enemy with honor," Siensao said. "But one can also respect an enemy who stands by his convictions, even against his nation. You could have simply informed the Fire Army that you were alive and told them you had sworn yourself to my service for a while, so that your family would know you weren't dead. But you knew as well as I did that your word of honor wouldn't be enough to satisfy the Fire Army, particularly when given to an enemy of the state. You've already stood by what you believe in against your own people. This is merely the next step along that path. In the end, I think Jura loves you for who you are, not because you're Fire Nation."

Kyuzo let out a long sigh and nodded.

"Okay...I...you have my agreement. I'll be your spy."

"Thank you. Now, let's gather the others so we can construct your story. It needs to be more believable than the one you told me."

* * *

"So," Kazehano said, not sounding very impressed, "the Fire Sage Hideki was… misinformed? He said he saw all of you killed."

"No, he didn't see it…Jomei exposed him as a spy as soon as the Tumen showed up," Kyuzo improvised, cursing at not having thought about what Hideki might have said upon returning to the camp. "But they respected the fact that he was a wise man, so they were going to just going to let him go and kill the rest of us. Then Jomei said that Lt. Akani was a much more valuable as a prisoner, being an officer. Since they wouldn't keep Hideki, he could at least bring word back that Lt. Akani was a prisoner. Lt. Akani…didn't like that. She tried to break free, attack Jomei, but that bastard, he…!"

"He killed her?" Okihara demanded, sounding far more concerned about a single soldier than any Fire Nation general ought to.

"No, she wasn't dead," Kyuzo explained quickly, "just knocked out. But Hideki fled in the confusion, so that's probably why he assumed all of us were killed."

"General, with your permission…" Kazehano spoke respectfully, but his manner was that of a professional irritated with an amateur interrupting his work.

Okihara frowned, but waved his hand. "Yes. Carry on."

"After Fire Sage Hideki… ran away," Kazehano continued, "the Tumen accepted Jomei's offer to work with them, provided he killed you all once they returned to camp. However, you escaped, with the help of the others, incurring your wounds in the process?"

"Yes, sir." Kyuzo didn't have to pretend a wince at the memory.

_"So I'm supposed to be a criminal mastermind, huh?" Jomei asked, amused by the idea. "Well, I can tell you this, if I'd been in charge of things, you wouldn't have gotten off without a little softening up." The miner cracked his knuckles with a nasty grin. "I think you need to have some realistic evidence of that."_

_"Just don't damage the face," Kyuzo said resignedly. "And I'm fond of my teeth, I need them to chew things, you know."_

"After you escaped, since you were blindfolded on the way there and dazed from that lump on your head, you had no idea where our camp was, so you've spent the last few days wandering until you found the railroad and followed it back here, where our sentries spotted you."

"Yes, sir."

Kazehano nodded, looking satisfied.

"All right. Now we'll have to test that story. Please show the prisoner the instruments." This last was addressed to one of the assistants, who brought forth a black case, setting it carefully on the small table nearby. As he opened it up, racks of painful-looking implements unfolded, until it seemed like a small blacksmith's shop was sitting there.

"All the stuff on the walls is for the usual prisoners we get," Kazehano said lightly. "But you're a special case. So, if you've just suddenly remembered something we ought to know about, and you'd like to get through this with the least possible amount of scarring, speak up now."

Kyuzo's eyes went very wide as he stared at the array of cutlery.

"Hey, I'm one of you! I'm Fire Nation! I'm loyal! Honest! You don't need to do this!"

Kazehano let out a sigh.

"Indeed, they all say that. And sorry, but we really do." He picked out a lethal-looking hook. "This will take a while. And it will hurt a lot."

Kyuzo's protests turned into screaming quite quickly.

* * *

Even before Kyuzo had gotten out of sight of the camp, Siensao, accompanied by Jomei, went to fetch Akani from the pit. _Finally! Now that he's out of the way, it's high time I got on with finding out what she knows._ But Reki intercepted them, looking more unsettled than she had since she'd wobbled off the train back in the Green Dragon camp

"You are going to question Akani." It was not a question.

Siensao nodded, coming to a halt.

"Yes, I am."

"I ask you not to do so."

Siensao raised an eyebrow.

"I mean no disrespect, but I assure you, I am not the Blood Drinker. I do not injure people needlessly or excessively. My questioning will use the minimum amount of force required."

"Wait, wait," Jomei put in. "why do you even care what happens to her? She's the enemy."

"An enemy can be killed with honor. They cannot be tortured with honor."

"Honor is a thin cloak against the chill of the grave, Reki. I learned that from you," Siensao said. "Akani is my problem, not yours. There's no need to be concerned."

"I know what I said!" Reki snapped, "and I know that 'interrogation' is necessary at times, but… it necessary here, now? Does the fate of the Tumen or the outcome of your plans rest on doing this? Is it worth it?"

"I won't know until afterwards," Siensao said. "But I'm sure you could make a guess. You tell me, Reki. Is it worth it?"

"Of course it is!" Jomei growled. "She deserves worse! Look, Reki, what's this really about? You've never said anything like this before."

"Jomei, we will talk later! Be quiet!"

The miner shut up. _This is just too weird._

After a brief silence Reki continued, "For good or ill, you are still my student and I am as responsible for your actions as my own. I am asking you, as someone who has seen the worst of this world..._please_ do not do this." She sounded as though the words were being dragged out of her and the immense weariness and sorrow she usually kept hidden was on full display.

"Reki, I have to. I promised Kyuzo I wouldn't make him do anything he objected to and that I would spare Akani's life if he provided a reason. I also promised Tsangansar that keeping her alive would be beneficial in some way and this is really the only way that's left. It's not your fault. I really am sorry."

"Are you, I wonder?" Reki murmured.

"I have to force myself to be sorry these days, but yes, I am. I do it so that I can stay better than the people I fight," Siensao said grimly. "If I know what I'm doing is wrong, then someday, when this is over, maybe I can stop all of this and just live an ordinary life, and help people without having to do it all from the shadows. Yes, I am sorry, but I still have to do this."

"I...I understand," Reki said, bowing her head. "I still do not approve. I...I had to ask, you know. I had to make the effort."

"I know," Siensao said, a sympathetic smile on her face. "I know."

"I am going to take a long walk," Reki said, turning to leave. "I do not want to be anywhere near what you do today. Jomei, when you are finished, you may find me at the practice field." She turned and walked away. Jomei watched her go, a little less eager now. Seeking Reki beat herself up over a Fire Nation soldier made him wonder if she really had gone over the deep end when he hadn't been looking

One of the Tumen Dust Drinkers knew how to compact earth into stone, and had thrown up a little building for the work. Akani was secured to one of the walls with stone cuffs around her wrists and ankles, still quite dirty from her prolonged stay in the pit and in the confined space the smell was bad enough that Siensao had a few buckets of water thrown at her to make the questioning bearable. The chamber was windowless, with the only opening being an air hole at the bottom of one wall and the illumination was provided by a single lantern. Siensao sat across from Akani. The two women gazed across at each other for a while, Akani's furious glare contrasting with the merchant's sublime serenity.

"I'm sorry about your father," Siensao said at last, "I can't imagine what it must have been like."

"What?" Akani blurted out, confused. "What do you know about my father?"

"Someone like you serving in the middle of nowhere, half a world away from the front lines..." Siensao shook her head. "A shame, really."

"You're just talking!" the firebender growled, "You don't know anything and you're lying through your teeth!"

_And you_, the merchant thought, _have just confirmed that your father is of some note and the two of you are estranged. So he's either upset you're in the army at all or that you're in such a backwater posting. The latter is more likely, but not certain._

"Well if you'd rather I commence beating you and asking questions that you couldn't possibly answer, I can, but honestly I'd prefer not to. I'll let you in on a little secret."

Akani looked singularly unimpressed.

"And what's that?"

"Lieutenant, I must apologize for lying to you when we met in Lumin, but I assure you, I have good reason to want to leave no trail to follow. I'm on a mission of utmost importance to the Fire Nation. As you may or may not be aware of, there are many groups that might pose a danger to the war effort but have not yet acted. I'm infiltrating one of them and am currently pursuing a project whereby I can gather most of their leaders together and decapitate their group in a single strike. I'm trying to cause minimal harm to the Fire Nation in the process, but things happen and you were a convenient method of advancing this. It's nothing personal."

"Rhino shit," Akani said evenly. "You're seriously cracked if you think I'm falling for that one."

"Believe me when I say that I'm willing to take measures to ensure your silence, and I don't just mean killing you," Siensao continued, ignoring the remark. "Your father would be where I'd start but not where I'd finish. So when you did die, you'd know that you were signing quite a few death warrants."

"And again with the lies about knowing anything about me or my family." Akani smirked. "Now tell me the one about the pink dragon."

"All I'm asking is your silence about me, whatever you're asked. Just tell them I'm dead. I'm pursued very closely by traitors within the Fire Nation, some of whom have access to immense resources. I'll give you until we're finished here to consider it. Now that that's out of the way...let's just talk. I try and keep apprised of what's going on back in the homeland, but it's hard to hear anything out here. Have you ever been to Ember Island?"

"What's it to you?"

"I've always enjoyed their annual production of _'Love Amongst the Dragons'_" Siensao went on, adopting a wistful, nostalgic look, her eyes glazing over. "My favorite part is when Iseki and Kinamoto proclaim their undying love for each other on the balcony at the Royal Palace. That actor playing Iseki last year captured it quite well, I thought. He really conveyed the anguish and poetry of true love-"

"Oh, merciful Agni, please don't tell me you really like that damned play! It's the most puerile, insipid, stupid thing I've ever seen on stage!" Akani finally burst out, sounding disgusted. "Or if you do, kindly shut up about it!"

Siensao chuckled.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. No, I find it just as agonizing to sit through as you do, but I don't think I endured quite as many renditions as you, so you have my sympathies there."

"What...what are you talking about? You're sitting here, after getting me stuck in that pit, and you just threatened me with death not a minute ago, and you're chatting about plays?"

Siensao grinned.

"I told you, it's nothing personal and it's been a while since I could just relax and talk about home."

"I thought you were saying to that other woman when you brought me here that you'd get me to talk about the camp and organization and all that."

"Oh, that." Siensao waved a hand in dismissal. "I already know about the Fire Army's organization, I'll tell her as little as I can get away with and just say you wouldn't break, don't worry about that. So, what kind of plays do you prefer? They don't produce many new ones these days, after all."

Akani hesitated, then said slowly, "I...I like _bunraku_ puppet theater."

_And so it begins,_ Siensao exulted inwardly. _From here on, it's only a matter of time and patience._

* * *

Jomei found Reki exactly where she'd said she'd be, running through sword forms in the field on the southern edge of camp where the Tumen earthbenders were taught how to use their element. The desert warrior was at the top of her form, the bright steel everywhere at once as she cut down hundreds of imaginary foes. As she fought, her face was calm. But as she slowed and stopped, lowering her sword, that calm gave way to the same troubled look she had worn earlier. Jomei approached cautiously.

"Hey," he said quietly, "you wanted to talk later. Here I am."

"No, Jomei, you wanted to talk. What do you want?"

"Well…" Jomei studied his feet a moment before admitting, "I'm worried about you. More than usual, I mean. As long as I've known you, you've never bothered yourself with what anyone else does or thinks. I mean, sure, you've been giving Siensao sword lessons and such, but I never thought you really cared about her as a student, you were just doing your best and if she couldn't make it, tough, right? And then just recently you were talking about starting to give me lessons in leading people. Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to give it a shot, but I'm not really a tactical genius or anything. Something's going on with you and it's starting to scare me. I just thought maybe it'd help to talk about it."

Reki sheathed her sword with a sigh.

"This is what you wish to speak of today, is it? What will you tell me in exchange, then?"

Jomei shrugged, a sheepish grin on his craggy features.

"Whatever you want to know. I've run out of stories to tell about daily life in Teoro Village."

"Then tell me, Jomei, why do _you_ care for others? Why do you take it upon yourself to watch over them and try and help when you can? Why do you fight for their sake and listen to their advice. Why do you take responsibility for what they do even though you don't have to? Why do _you_ care?"

Jomei, taken aback by the question, murmured, "Uh…I'll need to think about this one."

"Take your time," Reki said. "I will wait."

For a long moment, they stood there, with the earthbender lost in thought and the swordswoman studying him carefully.

"I guess I care about people because I have to," he finally said. "I mean, you won't get far in life without friends, people who help you out when you need it most, and that goes both ways. And when you pick your friends, that makes you responsible, at least a little, for what they do, good and bad, the same way you've got to own up to whatever you do, good or bad, and learn from it. It's never easy, and sometimes it hurts a lot, but you do what you can anyhow. That's just how life works. I never really thought about it before. It's just what you do. You care about people because they deserve it, because they're your friends, the friends you chose. And believe me, whatever you might think, you deserve it as much as anyone." Jomei's face was noticeably redder and his voice dropped to an embarrassed mumble as he studied his feet. "I'll never stop being thankful you're here with me. It'd be awfully lonely otherwise. Am I making any sense?"

"You are," Reki said. "You speak the truth. And in doing so, you have answered your own question. It is not as easy for me, though. I am...out of practice. But I am also thankful to be here. I think it is where I need to be...and where I want to be. I still need some time to begin again, if you understand me."

"Yeah, sure!" Jomei said, too loudly to cover the fact that he had no idea what she was talking about. "I understand! Uh...thanks for answering my question...or getting me to answer my own question or whatever it was. You really think I could learn about being in charge?"

"A lesson would take my mind off Siensao's work," Reki said. "I think it is time you began taking a greater part in our journey. Siensao could certainly use your input on matters, if only to remind her that there are other ways than the one she has chosen."

* * *

When they were finished with Kyuzo, they at least bandaged his wounds before they threw him into one of the iron punishment boxes used for ordinary offenders while they talked over his story. And there he lay, bloodied and beaten, groaning quietly, until he found the strength to sit up, leaning back against the side of the box. At some point shock had given way to fear and panic as they'd worked on him. But he'd just kept repeating the story over and over until his throat was raw and his lips cracked. _Make it simple and easy to remember,_ Siensao had told him many times, _that way you'll be more likely to keep it consistent under questioning._ But he hadn't realized just how much questioning she'd meant.

And that stranger in the cloak, whoever they were, they'd only asked one question: if Siensao, or rather, her alias, Kusari, had been alive when he last saw her, then stayed quiet for the rest of the questioning. Who were they? Why were they so interested in Siensao? But he had other things to occupy his mind. He had endured the prison in Omashu. He had put up with everything he'd gone through in Siensao's service. But getting the same treatment from his own nation?

_Both sides in this war are as bad as each other. There's nothing good here, nothing right here. Siensao means well, but what Akani said about the Fire Nation is just as true for the Earth Kingdom. If they start winning the war, they won't stop halfway. They'll grind the Fire Nation into the dirt for daring to oppose them. If she can't stop the Fire Nation from doing that, I don't think she can stop her own kingdom. This war will only end when one side is beaten. And I'm stuck in the middle. No wonder Hideki chose death. But I won't. I'll do what I have to to survive. If that means spying…so be it. If that means killing to defend myself…I'll do that too. If it means believing in whatever tiny chance of peace Siensao offers…well, what else can I do? It's no use running away with Jura like I thought I could do. The war follows me._

The slot in the box's door squeaked as it slid open, letting in a ray of light.

"Hey, prisoner!" the guard said to him, "Looks like your story checks out. The general still wants to talk to you, though." The lock clicked and the door swung open. Kyuzo hauled himself out and stood up, wincing at all his new injuries. The guard helped steady him as he swayed on his feet.

"Easy there, pal. Don't try anything crazy for a few days. Look on the bright side, you'll have some scars to lie about to women. They love battle scars. And you didn't even have to fight for them."

Kyuzo's face was quite different from before he'd been questioned. Aside from the bruises, a long, ragged cut now curved down from his brow through the temple and down to his neck on the right side, a set of shallow punctures dotted one cheek and one of his ears was now pierced. And that was only on his face.

"I've always had quite a bit of luck," Kyuzo said, his answering smile a good deal sadder than it used to be. "What kind of luck, though, I've never been sure. I suppose it must be good, since I'm still alive. For now."

Okihara was waiting for him in the camp's war room. A large map of the northwestern Earth Kingdom occupied the large table in its center, cluttered with markers and papers. That stranger in the cloak was there too, in one of the corners. Kyuzo saluted as smartly as he could, teeth grinding at the jolt of pain it produced.

"Corporal Kyuzo reporting as ordered, sir."

"At ease, soldier. Take a seat."

Kyuzo eased himself down onto one of the chairs and Okihara sat down across from him, steepling his hands.

"You are an honorable soldier, and we accept your account of what happened as truth," the general began. "Understand that we are required to verify stories of your sort by law. You have shown remarkable resolve under duress, and have comported yourself as a true Fire Nation soldier."

_Gee, thanks. That makes everything all better._ Aloud, he replied, "Understood, sir."

Okihara nodded as though he hadn't heard Kyuzo. "However...we face another problem. You said Lieutenant Akani was alive when you last saw her. It is quite fortunate that she is, and we are extremely interested in returning her safely to our camp."

"May I ask why, sir?" Kyuzo asked, utterly mystified.

"You may not, Corporal. Our mutual friend…" He nodded at the stranger. "having witnessed proof that you are an honorable soldier in his Majesty's service, has decided to grant you the additional honor of being the means to accomplish this."

Kyuzo couldn't help but notice the way Okihara seemed trying as hard to convince himself of what he was saying as he was Kyuzo. It only made Kyuzo wonder all the more as he glanced at the cloaked stranger out of the corner of his eye. _Nothing quite like Agni descended to earth as a general on a battlefield – so who has the power to point to a soldier and say, "Die for the nation" and have a general pass on the orders like a courier?_

"So I have called you here to ask you if you would be willing to be traded back. This would mean almost certain death unless you could escape again. It's why your guards have taken great care not to show you too much about the camp. I'm told the Tumen are considerably less delicate than we are about questioning. The less you know, the less you can tell them. Will you do this?"

Kyuzo had to stop himself from gaping like a landed fish, and not only because the general had played right into his plan in a way he'd never anticipated. _Who is Akani that they're willing to sacrifice someone to get her back? Why does that person think I'm the best choice? How much do they know? Who are they that they can command a general? I...I think Siensao's in a lot of trouble. And it's not like I can refuse anyway, that'd just tell them I'm not loyal and they'd trade me anyway._

"Yes, sir," he said heavily, "I volunteer for this trade."

Okihara nodded as though he had expected that answer.

"Good. I'm sorry about this, soldier. I think you deserve better than this and Akani would agree, I'm sure, but if she dies, the Green Dragons will be put under even more pressure and scrutiny then we already are and we can't let that happen. I'm glad you understand."

_Oh yes, _Kyuzo thought, _I understand all right. I understand better than you think and it sickens me. But at least I can warn Siensao._

* * *

Siensao' s conversation was rapidly coming to an end. Ever so slowly, through tantalizing hints and clues, Akani had given away the details of all the Fire Nation political situations she knew of, along with most of the Green Dragon's organized responses to attack, under the guise of finding out which ways they could kill the most Tumen warriors during the assault. Somewhere along the line, Akani had, despite her caution, fallen into the trap and started believing that Siensao was who she said she was, infiltrating the Earth Kingdom insurgency and doing the best she could to minimize harm to the Fire Nation along the way. But the piece of information that most interested the merchant, the identity of the soldier's father, was just now coming to light.

"If you don't mind my asking," she said, "what's it like? Growing up with a father like yours, I mean."

"Honestly, it was more difficult growing up with a mother like mine. If I wasn't my dad's only child, I'd probably still be in that pleasure house. But no, a lord like him has to have heirs, or else chaos would ensue." Akani snorted. "And his bitch of a wife treated me like shit, since he was pretty sure she was the reason he didn't have kids already. Minister of Commerce, the great Lord Katsushiro of the Fukuzawa Clan, a whole string of other titles...but the man himself? A damn bureaucrat. A good one, sure, to keep his post and impress the Fire Lord, but that's all. He thinks of the war in terms of gold pieces lost and gained."

"You know people who think like that have lost several wars," Siensao said. "It's fortunate for everyone that he's not anywhere near military affairs."

"Everyone but me," Akani agreed. "That's why I got out of there as soon as I was old enough to volunteer. And I requested this posting, you know, to prove I could handle it and that I was willing to do the kind of work my dad wasn't." She sighed. "I expect any day now you'll get word the general wants me back. Agni, I wish he wouldn't bother. But my dad can cut off the division's funding and supplies pretty fast if he wants to and I want that even less. You're lucky to have a family that did honest work," she said, referring to Siensao's cover story as having come from a common family from the colonial city of Shizaishan, a major seaport. The merchant shrugged.

"Well, it shouldn't be so bad. I sent Kyuzo over to the Green Dragon camp to pretend he'd escaped. He'll tell them you're probably alive and offer to be traded back. Like I said, I'm trying to keep Fire Nation forces alive and having somebody else or a pile of gold traded for you doesn't do that. I thought perhaps it would make up in some small way for the awful way they've been treating you these last few days."

Akani was surprised at first, then she let out a sigh of relief.

"I can't thank you enough for that. You don't know what it means to me. I didn't want to be responsible for some other poor soldier's death. It's been weighing on my mind all this time. I don't pretend to approve of all the things you spies do, but for one of them, you're all right."

"I do my best," Siensao said, bowing her head. "It's all any of us can do." _And that, as they say, is that. Lord Katsushiro. Even I wasn't expecting quite that lofty a name to come up. I hope the chance to talk with the good lieutenant comes again sometime._

"Well, you might want to tell Kyuzo what you told me, the guy is convinced you've got him caught up in some plot against the Fire Nation."

"I'm sure you've noticed, but he's not the smartest person and he's a terrible liar. It's better that he knows as little about me as he needs to. You, on the other hand, I can trust."

"Yeah," Akani said, "I noticed, all right. I still don't like him. Acting just on what he knows now, he's still a traitor, even if he tells me he doesn't want to be. Maybe you're right."

A knock came on the stone door and Siensao sighed.

"Looks like our time is up. I told them only to interrupt me if the time came for you to be traded back. Remember, so far as you know, I'm quite dead."

"Right, right, no problem. Least I can do."

* * *

The exchange was, despite everything, quite tense on both sides. The Fire Nation company had been spotted and halted by the sentries in almost the same place they had first spoken to Tsangansar and made to wait while Akani was brought over. Despite Jomei's repeated offers to make the firebender's interrogation look more authentic, preferably through a few broken teeth or a broken arm, Siensao turned him down. The two groups stood across from each other, bows and bending at the ready, as the two captives slowly walked across the grassy field separating them. When Kyuzo and Akani drew close, Akani spoke to him in a low voice as they passed by. He would remember her parting words for a long time afterwards.

"Find a cause you're willing to die for and hang onto it, Kyuzo. Love is all we have in this world, whether it's for a person, place, or idea."

He couldn't think of any reply and then the moment had passed. He sighed.

Siensao didn't seem worried about the news that someone powerful was after her, and that in turn made Kyuzo worry a great deal.

"Who do you think it is?" he asked.

"I don't know yet," she said, "and honestly, there isn't a lot I can do about it other than killing whoever they send after me. Our path takes us away from Fire Nation territory for now. I'll try and find out, but there are more immediate concerns. Such as what you learned about the camp."

Kyuzo chuckled nervously.

"Uh, about that. They didn't exactly trust me enough to let me walk around the place as much as you'd have liked, so what I've got isn't much."

The merchant nodded.

"Yes, I expected as much, whatever you have will do. Think of it as a lesson in the world we live in, Kyuzo. I'd get your injuries seen to properly, by the way. With any luck, they won't scar too badly. I'm sorry they were so rough with you."

"Would you be offended if I said you scared me more than they do?" Kyuzo asked on an impulse.

"Offended? No. I'm sorry you feel that way and I hope to change your mind, of course. But I take no offense when someone speaks their mind. Truth is a precious commodity these days. Come on, I'll get you to the healers, then I need to go. Tsangansar has a speech planned and I need to be there."

Jomei was among the few fortunate enough to witness Tsangansar speak to the chosen few she had assembled in a great circle near the middle of the camp. The old chieftain had gathered perhaps twenty people; among them, the miner recognized some of her family that he had encountered. Ganzorig stood close to her side. Everyone there was conscious of the solemnity of the occasion and it weighed upon them, giving the gathering an air of dread. Siensao, Reki, and Zoukani were present as well, all of them quiet and attentive.

"My friends," Tsangansar began, struggling to stand up straight and not lean on her staff too much, "I've come to a decision about what we must do if we are to survive the days ahead. In truth, I have wanted to do this for some time, but have hesitated too long. The Tumen nation must be abandoned. Our people must scatter like grass seeds on the wind, to sow new life in many places. Tomorrow, we will separate into bands of five hundred or so, and each one will take a different path away from here, heading south through the Ash Lands, from there to spread out across the steppe. I have already decided who the leaders of these bands are to be. They stand before me."

Jomei was surprised at the lack of uproar and protest. He supposed Tsangansar had picked listeners who she knew would agree with her.

"However, the Fire Nation must first be crippled so they cannot chase us down," she continued. "I will take a thousand of our people and attack their camp. I will give you all as much time as I can to get away from here in safety. The survivors of this raid, with or without me, will head for the Alashai Hills. As for the rest of you, you must trust to your own judgment, but one of these bands must head north to the town of Arvaikhir. I have received word that the Earth Kingdom resistance forces to the east are willing to accept at least this many of our people and are sending ships. They should arrive within a few weeks. Ganzorig, you will lead that band. That is all there is to say. Are there any questions?"

One of the audience, a younger woman, raised her hand.

"Once we are safely past the Ash Lands, can we not gather into a nation once again? It will take them a long time to chase us down in the south. We will have time to rebuild our strength and make new alliances."

"No," Tsangansar answered firmly. "The Fire Nation will continue to attack the Tumen nation if we gather again. They will leave us alone if we are no longer a threat. We must wait for their forces to move on and for the Ash Lands to fade. Only when they think themselves safe will we strike again. Does anyone else with to speak?"

A second person, a grey-haired man, raised his hand.

"If you are killed in this raid, when the time comes and we assemble again, who will lead our people?"

"Since I cannot know who will be alive then, it will be decided in the old way, through contest. Is that all?"

Silence answered her. Tsangansar bowed her head. She seemed at a loss for words now, and her eyes shone with unshed tears.

"My friends…I…I'm sorry. If there were any other way, I would not do this. I am proud to have known you, and we will meet again, whether in mortal life or upon the Eternal Blue Sky."

As the sun sank slowly into the west, the steppe came alive with the sound of a nation on the move. A thousand ostrich-horses thundered across the steppe towards the setting sun, magnificent in their strength. The light was just beginning to fade, gold becoming tinged with fiery red. It was towards death and fire they rode as one, the great mass of animals and men having been forged into a unified force simply by being together. All of them, even Jomei, still awkward and unsure on his mount, Reki, uncertain who she was becoming, Siensao, ever mistrustful of others, and Kyuzo, knowing this force was directed at his own nation, all of them could feel the bond the army shared. Their hearts were light and their minds at peace.

As he rode, Jomei twisted about to look back over his shoulder. He was among the last to behold the breaking of the Tumen nation. The campsite was almost completely empty, the various bands doing as they had been told and riding off in small groups, scattering in every direction, leaving the great plains empty save for the grass and the endless wind. To his surprise, Jomei found that he was crying. He wasn't sure why. But it was what it was and he couldn't worry about it now. He was finally going to war.


	17. Battle of the Broken Arrows

A/N: We're nearing the end of the Tumen arc and getting closer to where I left off the story before I started rewriting it. It's taken quite a while, but I hope it was worth the wait. Thanks as always to Sylvacoer for her editing work and enjoy the show.

* * *

Sunset on the steppe was a half-hearted affair, with the wall of cloud turning it into a gradual onset of the dark, as though life was draining out of the world. Kyuzo, perched precariously atop one of the Tumen carts as it rumbled northwards, looked back towards the south, at a darkness deeper than the oncoming night. _…rows of bodies under blood-soaked blankets, dying under the beautiful sunlight and the drone of spider-flies getting louder and louder…_ And now he'd brought that upon his own people along with the Tumen. No matter what he did, someone would get hurt. He just had to try and hurt the fewest number of people. Or so he kept telling himself. _There's no running. Sooner or later, I'll have to do what Akani said and find a cause worth dying for. If such a thing exists in this place._

* * *

With the clouds still thick overhead, the grey veil of twilight quickly took hold upon the steppe, so that the forlorn hope for the Tumen people might well have been an army of spirits under the wan light. Just as the last bit of day was fading, they came to a halt. Riding close to Tsangansar, Jomei heard the scouts' report of sighting and killing a Green Dragon patrol. They were still miles from the camp, but the Fire Nation was watchful and their patrols carried flares. They could not be allowed to warn their fellows. Tsagansar's weathered features were creased with pain and the effort of concealing it. The old woman could hardly ride a cart into battle and the long hours on horseback had been unkind to her. But her voice was strong as she spoke to those gathered here, her words quickly relayed back through the army by those with keen ears.

"This is where we must part," she said. "We must separate into our own forces for the attack. You all know the importance of timing. Timing is everything. No matter how much it pains you to hear your fellows die, do not attack until the signal is given. And when you do, remember, no matter how much you hate these invaders, do not let them cloud your minds and lose focus on our true goal. Kill them if you can, but we must destroy that which sustains their evil in our land. Most of all, do not seek death here. Fight to live. I ask for everyone's oath upon a broken arrow."

She withdrew a single arrow from the quiver on her back and held it up over her head for all to see, such as they could in the twilight. Everyone in the army did the same at once. Jomei had no arrows, but he turned to the warrior next to him, a wordless question on his face, and the man handed him an arrow without hesitation or speech. Jomei was glad Kyuzo wasn't there: he would surely have refused to take part. He was with Ganzorig already, safe away from the fighting where he belonged.

"I swear that I will return having done what I came here to do, or not at all," Tsangansar said, face turned upwards, as if she could see the night sky beyond the clouds. "I will fight that I and my people might live. If I fail in this, may I be as this arrow." Then she snapped the sturdy shaft in half and held the broken halves out to either side. A thousand arrows snapped, like a miniature forest being hewed down, and the pieces were flung into the breeze.

"Good luck," was all the chieftain said before turning away. The army separated into three groups, each smaller than the last. Jomei stayed with the largest, Reki the next largest, and Siensao accompanied the smallest of the three. All of them moved off into the night on their appointed tasks.

Siensao's force, numbering only a hundred, but most of them earthbenders, rode the fastest, galloping south, for they had the longest way to go. It was their task to cut the rail lines. Those with Reki, perhaps three hundred strong, were meant to hurl themselves into the teeth of the Fire Nation defenses in the northeast, near the treeline, drawing the Green Dragons' attention. The warriors that Jomei rode with would strike from the southwest, aiming for the rail and supply depots at the army's rear flank. The Green Dragons had reasonably assumed the quarter needed less rigorous defenses than the north: the camp's elevation afforded a wide view of the open steppe and any attack from that direction would be seen many miles off. It all hinged upon timing. If the diversionary force attacked too soon and was slaughtered, the main attack would be blunted. If the main attack came too soon, it would fail. It was the greatest fear of all the Tumen and only when battle was joined would they see if it had become real.

Private Yasuragi let out a great yawn, leaning against the earthbent stone wall of the guard post. Just his luck to be caught with that spark-stick. Now he was stuck on the first watch of the night. He hadn't even lit anything with it, just watched it burn! How was that against the rules? Life wasn't fair. At least the fire behind him kept the guards warm enough. And the shift change was coming up. He relaxed a little.

At first he dismissed that hissing sound as just the wind or something. Then he recognized it and saw the shadowy figures emerging from the darkness and threw himself flat, letting out a yell to warn the others. Not all of them made it and he saw one of them topple over with an arrow through his chest. Now he could hear the thunder of ostrich-horses on the move and the battle cries of the Tumen. He fumbled for the right flare, carefully placed for easy access, whether standing or sitting, jammed the stick into the ground, and lit the fuse with a snap of his fingers. Someone else was banging away on the alarm bell and the surviving guards were returning fire, popping up over the wall to loose fire blasts mostly blindly into the night, hoping they hit something. The earth rumbled, shuddering with the force of their bending, drowning out the screams of men down the line; they were going to die. Then the flare went off, at almost the same time as those from the other outposts, soaring upwards leaving a white trail behind. It burst overhead, a bright blue flower against the clouds, briefly illuminating the defenses. Yasuragi saw Tumen earthbenders bending bridges for themselves and their fellows over the trenches and blasting through the few walls their own earthbenders managed to put up. But the camp was responding, and as the horde of men and ostrich-horses came riding up to blow away their outpost, the private grinned.

"Come and get us, horse-fuckers!" he yelled out. "You can't catch these dragons napping!"

The answer came in the form of earthbending. But the guards were already gone, vanished down the hatch in the center of the post. Earthbenders could really dig tunnels when they were of a mind, and he'd lit the fuse on the explosives right before he shut the hatch. The resulting blast left quite a crater and killed two Tumen warriors and their mounts. Yasuragi chuckled to himself as he hurried on down the tunnel, coming out in the next trench inwards. _Stupid bastards! We'll show them how to fight a war!_ He could hear the alarm spreading. The camp was waking up and the whole world knew if you woke a dragon, you were going to get burned.

The earthbender in their squad, hurrying after them, never saw the shadow that separated from the dirt wall of the trench. Suddenly, _something_ struck his back, making him stop in place. Then his head, suddenly too heavy to hold up, fell forward and in the dim light of the watch fires that were flaring up in answer to the attack, he saw a length of bloody steel sticking out of his chest. _Funny…it doesn't even hurt as much as I thought it… _He crumpled to the ground as the blade withdrew with a slick, awful sound. Reki flicked the blood from her sword and moved on. Enemy benders were her targets, preferably earthbenders. In the black chaos in the lines, she was on the hunt.

At the barracks, the alarm bells started ringing and soldiers came pouring out, heading for the trenches. Plumes of steam rose into the air as tank drivers fired up their machines and komodo rhino cavalry joined up behind the inner trenches, preparing for a charge as soon as the Tumen reached them, which wouldn't be long. The whole defense moved with discipline and purpose. Even so, the advance was terrifying. Tumen Dust Drinkers extended ramps across the trenches in the midst of their charge, the non-benders simply following along behind. They blew through any stone barriers thrown up in their way and their bows kept thrumming, sending arrows through anyone who dared show his face. The answering volleys of firebending were weaker than they were under sunlight and many Dust Drinkers threw up their own shields to the side and ahead as they moved.

One of the catapults finally launched, the fireball quite visible against the black sky as it arched through the air. The Tumen forces couldn't scatter without breaking the line of advance. Instead they ripped enormous chunks of earth and hurled them upwards, deflecting the fireball back towards the defenders; it slammed into an as-yet unscathed bulwark, sending up a dazzling shower of sparks. As the Tumen extended their ramps over the last trench, the rhinos let out a great roar to match the battle cries of their riders and charged. The Tumen answered with a thunderous shout of their own...and promptly wheeled off towards the right, moving right along the earth between the trenches or crossing back and forth with no trouble at all, loosing arrows all the while. The tough rhinos could take several direct hits without faltering, but they were nowhere near as agile or quick as the ostrich-horses. Riders were hurled from their mounts as the beast bellowed and swung about, on the verge of panic.

A horn sounded above the fray and the rhino cavalry fell back, regrouping as a squad of tanks took their place, firebending infantry using them as a moving barricade to push the Tumen back. The artillery battery had realigned their catapults towards the attackers and the command to ignite went up. Victory was assured, though it looked like it might cost them. Then, on the southern edge of the camp, a choking cloud of dust whipped through their defenses, smothering the alarm flares from the south, and a volley of boulders smashed most of the bells, gongs, and outposts. But the screams of the soldiers there cut through the night and the alert slowly spread. They had been flanked.

Jomei, waiting with the main group, saw the flares bursting over the other side of the camp and grinned, unlimbering his hammer. _Nice of those bastards to give us the signal_.

"That's it!" Tsangansar said, then put enough volume into her next orders that Jomei was surprised her voice didn't give out. "_**ATTACK!**_"

Jomei dug in his heels and his ostrich-horse took off, nearly leaving him behind in the mad rush for the camp. As they'd expected, the response to the diversion had been swift and organized, drawing their forces away from the storehouses and munitions dumps. The larger Tumen force crashed into weakened Fire Nation lines. Those lines stretched and stretched and finally broke, and the raiders poured into the camp, trampling even their own fallen in their haste and desperation. The Tumen, aided by Kyuzo's reluctant guidance, made straight for the munitions dump, fanning out, snatching up burning embers from abandoned watch fires and messes along the way. In moments, Jomei found himself running through the midst of a horrific, deafening firestorm.

This being Jomei's first battle, he wasn't sure what it was supposed to be like. Now he knew. It was madness, plain and simple. He'd abandoned his ostrich-horse early on as soon as they made it across the lines, pulling it off to the side of the advance, then to a stop, and leaping from the saddle. A good smack on the tail feathers got it moving again, hopefully away from the fight, and he turned his fury on the nearest thing that needed smashing-the rail yard. He focused on the earth under the rails upon which the engine rested and heaved with all his might. The earth shivered, but that was all. Then a group of Tumen Dust Drinkers spotted what he was doing and lent a hand. Their combined earthbending raised a great slab of earth that twisted the rails and bent the steel-rimmed wheels. The great iron beast slowly toppled off the twisting tracks, landing hard enough to make him stumble. Then the riders were gone, as quickly as they had had no time to smash anything else before the remaining sentries had him surrounded, concentrating on the one groundbound warrior amidst the Tumen horsemen. He raised his hammer and brought it down at his feet, throwing up a choking cloud of dust. He charged, screaming his battle cry:

"For Teoro Village!"

Siensao suppressed a wince at the screeching metal as rails twisted, spikes pulled out, and bolts snapped in half. They had been working their way westward the whole night, splitting ties and rails at several intervals. Now they were near enough to the camp that they could hear the pitched battle and smell the smoke, the fires lighting up the horizon like a second sunset. A small group of four earthbenders were to continue west once they finished here, carrying on the sabotage for as long as they could. The more work the Fire Nation had to do, the better. Finally, the tortured iron snapped with a sound like a small thunderbolt.

"All right, good!" their leader shouted. "Let's get to the fight!" The Tumen wheeled about and galloped back towards the fray, hoping they weren't too late.

The word was spreading fast and Reki fought not to savor in their fear. Everyone was afraid, even on the Fire Nation side of the defense, where catapults pounded the Tumen, earthbenders worked to cut them off from escape, tanks ground towards their ranks, shrugging off arrow fire and even most boulders, and firebenders kept hurling their element. They were still afraid, because benders were dying. Reki was the demon in the night. She'd retrieved a bandolier of throwing knives from one Fire Nation soldier and was making good use of them, sowing fear, breaking their hard-won discipline, making them vulnerable to attack. Another firebender died silently, his throat cut so deeply his head was barely attached anymore. She slipped off into the darkness and a few seconds later, heard the alarm and terror as the body was found. They all glanced around, huddling up, not paying as much attention as they should be to the rampaging Tumen.

"Stand up! Look around – what are you, soldiers or pig-sheep?" Lieutenant Akani strode along the trench parapet, a target so obvious a child could take her out. She ignored the danger, exhorting the panicky soldiers to find the "coward" who was murdering their comrades. "Find them! Don't let your brothers die unavenged!"

She had to die. _I'm sorry, Kyuzo…looks like all your work was for nothing. _Reki tried desperately not to enjoy the work, but, as she crept on the target , the anticipation of the kill seized control and her awareness slipped for a moment…

The sword would have taken off her arm, if she'd not had the moment's warning of a flare of killing intent. She whirled away just in time. Her attacker was dressed like a Fire nation assassin, all in grey, close-fitting grey, head swathed in cloth. All that was visible of her-and it was a her, Reki was certain-was two intense eyes.

Akani's eyes widened, recognizing Reki. "She's here!" Before she could call for reinforcements, Reki vanished over the rise of the parapet, followed a stranger in grey.

"Ma'am, do we follow?" The young private was shuddering in his boots, but the set of his face told her he was to charge at her word.

Akani hesitated, staring into the concealing shadow of the trench. "No. I think… someone else is taking care of it for us. Get back to your squad, hold the line, watch each other's backs. Go!"

Reki dug her foot into the damp ground and kicked a clump of mud in her face before following up with a blindingly fast stab to the eyes. The other woman sidestepped the mud and parried, coming up with a kick of her own that brought a solid column of earth upwards, aimed at Reki's midsection. The desert warrior, momentarily surprised, leapt into the air. The ball of her foot met the rising earth, and she pushed off against it with all her might, vaulting over the palisade behind her, into the trench below. She rolled to absorb the impact and melted into the darkness again, this time looking for the fastest way back to the Tumen. _Interesting...I hadn't thought to find someone like that out here._ Now wasn't the time nor the place to challenge such an opponent, though.

The Tumen's diversionary force was badly battered by now, barely half of the warriors they'd started with remained, and the trenches were littered with bodies of men and ostrich-horses alike. The Green Dragon's counterattack, once the battalion officers regained control of the ranks, had been quick and devastating. The Tumen turned to run, only to find that Fire Nation earthbenders hadn't been idle. They'd used the tunnels through the trenches to assemble at the outer edge of the defenses and raised a massive wall of stone to pen the Tumen in. The Dust Drinkers all formed up at the head of the column as they made a dash for freedom and life. The Fire Nation forces braced for the impact, knowing that this would determine how this part of the fight ended.

When they clashed, a boom like a mountain falling over resonated across the field; soldiers covered their ears and cowered as a great cloud of dust boiling high into the night sky and blotted out the grey sky. The Green Dragon earthbenders, once they regained their footing, cleared the air, revealing a massive hole leading under the fortification where the Tumen had turned at bay. The attackers had escaped. Now they rode to help their comrades in the southwest, bloodied as they were. They rode on like madmen. They rode like Tumen.

Jomei found another of the munitions dumps and slung a bandolier of firebombs over his shoulder. While he hated the things, there was a certain delicious irony in using the Fire Nation's own weapons against its very flammable stores. If he was hit with a surprise firebending attack, they'd be finding pieces of him all over the steppe, but that was how it was. But as he came up to the next warehouse, running through more of the haze the Tumen kept throwing up to hide their numbers and how badly they were getting hammered, he just about bounced off a tank that had gotten out far ahead of its fellows.

The iron armor plating would shrug off any rock he could throw at it. He didn't bother with bending. Yanking the bandolier off his shoulder, he pulled the rip-cord, lighting the whole thing at once, fuses sparking wildly. Dropping his hammer, he clamped his free hand on the grappling hook on the front of the tank as it turned about, jumping up on the sloping plate below the turret. Without pause, he clambered forward and jammed the entire bandolier into the firing slit, dropping it in the personnel compartment. He heard yelling, ran along the thin strip of armor between the turret and towering wheels, flinging himself off the back as the tank veered wildly, bending himself a shield of earth.

The blast left his ears ringing, but didn't even rock his shield. Snatching up his hammer, he spared a glance as he ran off again. Smoke was pouring out of every opening and the tank had stopped moving entirely. Only then did the implications of that tank's arrival get through to him. _They've finally got the heavy hitters breaking off from the north to hit us. Time for us to get going or we'll get stomped fast_. He turned away and headed in what he thought was back to the south.

Amidst the wreck of his command, General Okihara became a beacon of order. In the bloody chaos of the southern lines, he appeared and in his wake left discipline and focus. The Tumen attack had been a good stroke, a vicious one, but it was not a killing blow and it had been blunted. The news spread like lightning, and a single thought passed through the ranks, animating the Green Dragons like the legendary beasts they were named for. _Now it's our turn._

Too many Tumen were being cut down as the Fire Nation reformed their ranks. Where the Tumen swarmed like scorpion-bees, the Green Dragons fought like soldier ants, squads and companies shifting into a devastating counterattack. Even as the Tumen frantically turned away, falling back, trying to swarm again, the Fire Nation sent ranging companies down through the trenches, breaking them apart, running down any warrior too slow to flee, heedless of the dwindling volleys of arrows being rained upon their heads.

"_Tumen, head for the dawn!_" A defiant shout rose from the night beyond the burning depot and the Green Dragons turned, uncertainty paralyzing them for a critical moment in the face of reinforcements. Out of the shadow and the fire, Tumen Dust Drinkers and the rest of the sabotage group, Siensao among them, threw themselves into a wild, headlong charge at the army.

Jomei was on foot in the middle of the slaughter and found himself nearly helpless to do anything to even stem the tide. His heart thundered in his ears as he came up to the edge of a trench and found that nobody had been nice enough to bend a bridge over it anywhere near him. He glanced about, seeing Fire Nation soldiers coming up fast behind him. Then he heard hoofbeats and a voice shouting at him in incomprehensible gibberish, like some crazed hermit. An ostrich-horse came to a stop nearby and Jomei jumped as he had never jumped before, nearly making it into the saddle behind the rider in a single leap. The rider spurred his beast and they were off again, heading for the next bridge.

"Thanks!" Jomei yelled in his ear. "I owe you one!"

The warrior glanced back at him, his face tight with pain and to his shock, Jomei saw that it was Zoukani. That explained the yelling. He couldn't speak, but he could get Jomei's attention.

"_Fly! Fly!_" Jomei couldn't be certain, but the voice that urged them to retreat sounded like Tsangansar. As one, the trapped Tumen raced for the eastern edge of the encircling force catching the unlucky soldiers there between those escaping and those rushing to the rescue. There was a horrific sound and scrum, panic and confusion as enemy and ally whirled about, no one knowing who was who or which was which. Jomei nearly lost his seat as a wildly-flung rock grazed Zoukani's skull. Somehow, the man stayed conscious, spurred his mount, and then they were free, flying across the steppes, the surviving tribesmen, pitifully few now, close around them.

But they had not escaped yet. Okihara had waited for this moment, the moment of total rout, when the Tumen had no thought in their minds but flight and running, when they were at their weakest, and his trap snapped shut, catching the riders in jaws of fire and iron. The Green Dragon tank division was on the move and in a massive line, they steamed forward, with komodo rhinos leading the way and trailing to the sides, ready to complete the encirclement. Tumen and ostrich-horses alike, nearly dead on their feet pushed onwards, dredging up all the strength left in them for one last sprint, but the Fire Nation was gaining. Jomei considered jumping off and charging them, but knew he wouldn't make a difference.

Then, like demons from the pit, Reki and the bloody remnants of the diversionary force boiled out of the gloom, coming from the south to shatter the Fire Nation's trap. They cut a deep, wide trench between the Tumen and their pursuers, toppling those tanks and rhinos who couldn't stop fast enough and raising a din that the spirits themselves would hear.

"_Keep going! Do not waste their sacrifice!_" Again, Jomei did not know who shouted, but Zoukani obeyed. Looking back over his shoulder, Jomei saw that the diversionary force had not, were fighting the tanks and cavalry head-on. The screaming would haunt him long afterwards and he felt as though his chest was caving in.

"_Reki!_" he yelled uselessly back at them. "_NO! Get out of there! You can't do this to me! I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU DIE, YOU CRAZY BITCH! NOT TODAY!_" In a mad frenzy, he tried to get Zoukani to turn around, snatching at the reins, but the man jabbed an elbow into his face, the pain snapping him out of his fear enough to realize what he'd done.

"We can't just leave her!" he pleaded with the silent soldier, whose only answer was an eloquent look that said clear as day, _We can and we will and we'll live like she'd want us to._ Jomei swore bitterly and slumped in the saddle. _If she dies, _he vowed to whatever spirits were listening, _you'll have to deal with me!_

As the last of the Tumen fell, the Green Dragons formed back into ranks, preparing to cross the trench and continue the pursuit, when a flare shrieked up into the sky and burst into a sickly green light, the signal to hold and to retreat on command. General Okihara, who had joined the pursuit as if he were a common cavalryman, one among many, came forward to look upon the carnage they had wrought. The bodies of the Tumen fallen littered the torn and bloody grass. He didn't bother proclaiming victory. He knew what awaited them back at the camp. For a long moment, he gazed out towards the east, where thousands of Tumen yet remained, just waiting to pounce on them far from their base. Oh, he wanted to keep going and burn the raiders into ash…but they'd lost enough and he could not afford to let what remained of his most effective forces fall into a trap.

"They're gone," he said, more to himself, then raised his voice. "All Fire Nation forces, return to base!" His mind grew darker as he thought about the report he would have to send back to headquarters and their response. _I hope they at least choose a competent successor. Perhaps Hideki and I can share a cell…or an executioner._

Of the thousand that had set out under the oath of the broken arrow, less than four hundred warriors remained. As dawn approached and no pursuit could be seen on the western horizon, the remnants of the Tumen's 'divine wind' slowed their flight, gathering a few miles south of the abandoned tribal encampment. Jomei dismounted slowly, moving like a puppet with its strings cut, wandering aimlessly through the gathering, looking for the rest of his friends.

"Now what?" he said aloud to no one in particular.

"We join the others – we live," someone answered, and this time, Jomei knew he had not imagined it.

"Tsangansar? Tsngansar!" Cries of amazement went up as the Tumen gathered around their leader.

The elderly chieftain looked like death, but she was unquestionably alive and looking as surprised at the fact as everyone else. Nobody was speaking. Tsangansar broke the awed silence herself

"I had not expected to survive," she said, as if wanting to get the facts straight in her own mind. "I thought for certain I would die. But it seems today was not my time." She looked around, seeing how few of the Tumen remained, and many of those wounded, some badly, but her eyes stayed dry. She was far past tears.

"We did what we swore we would do, and more of you are still here than I had dared hope for. It was a hard thing, to be willing to watch all of you die for this. So hard… I am…glad to see so many still here…and I mourn for those who are gone. But nothing has changed. We follow the plan that was agreed upon. Now is when we must part again. You all know where to go." Her voice dropped so low that only those closest to her heard it. "Goodbye."

The army bowed low, paying homage to their chieftain one last time.

Then, as the gathering began to break up, Jomei saw Reki and Siensao watching the elder's speech from the other side of the circle and it was like seeing the sun again after his months in the darkness of Teoro Mine. Before he knew it, he was running, exhausted as he was, practically flying across the grass. They both saw him coming and Siensao, a little smile on her face, stepped aside. Reki started to speak but before she got out a single word, Jomei's powerful arms were wrapped around her in a bear hug.

"Dammit all, don't do that to me," he pleaded quietly. "You and the others are all I have left. I don't want to be alone…and you shouldn't be alone."

He could feel that Reki had gone tense again and knew she could probably kill him in a dozen different ways if she took offense, but he didn't care. For what seemed like forever, he waited. Then one of the desert warrior's arms hesitantly came up to pat him in the shoulder.

"I…thank you for being…concerned," she said, sounding more than a little uncertain. "I did not want to cause you grief. I simply did what was needed. That is what you do in battle, what is needed. You must understand this."

"I do," Jomei mumbled, "but you don't need to die. Not ever."

Reki looked up at him, a curious expression on her face. "I…can almost believe that, hearing you say it. Now…could you let go of me? The smell is getting worse."

Jomei let her go, awkwardly stepping back. The initial joy having lessened, he was now dying inside from embarrassment and was glad it was night so they couldn't see his face going redder than a tomato-carrot.

"Uh…sorry about that, I know you don't like that sort of thing."

"Your apology is accepted."

"Well, Siensao was the one who pulled this whole thing off," he turned to the merchant, who looked bemused by the whole incident.

"Thank you," she said with a slight bow. Her smile widened as Zoukani came riding up, giving her a nod. "But we really should be on our way. The Fire Nation patrols will be out in force and we have a long way to go."

The separation was a quiet thing, but no less sad for all that. The Tumen did not cry and mourn in public, but the dark hid many things that night. One band after another left, each one heading in a different direction. Finally, only five people were left. Jomei, Reki, Siensao, Zoukani, and the Tumen warrior who had agreed to take them to Ganzorig's band, waiting for them with Kyuzo in tow, a few hours to the northwest. They made for a lonely, weary company, in the gloom before the dawn.

* * *

The assassin strode across the abandoned battlefield, looking carefully at each of the bodies strewn across the ground. She was certain Siensao was not among them, but among the many lessons that had been purchased with pain in her life, one was being thorough. Another was tolerating those you were forced to work with in any capacity, such as the limping sandbender following along behind her. She reminded the assassin of a half-wild komodo rhino. Useful enough if it could be directed...but that _if_ was a tricky, delicate thing and sooner or later it would turn on you. Karida's impatience was mounting.

"You know as well as I do that Siensao and Reki aren't here!" she snapped. "Are you really going to spend the rest of the night checking every single body out here? There are hundreds of them and half of them are burned up!"

"Yes," the assassin answered. Karida was not remotely satisfied.

"All the while, they're getting further away! How are we supposed to find them now? They could have gone in any direction and I don't know a thing about these plains!"

The assassin chose not to humor the sandbender with an answer, which Karida took as permission to continue complaining.

"Damn you, answer me! This is serious! Reki at least isn't dead! I know that much!"

"How?" the assassin asked, mildly interested in the answer.

"Because I haven't killed her yet," Karida growled. "She can't die until I kill her. That's just how it is."

"Our bargain did not specify that you personally were to eliminate Reki," the assassin pointed out. "You gave me permission to do so if I see an opportunity." This matter hadn't come up before.

Karida chuckled.

"You won't succeed, not even if you get the chance. It always comes down to just the two of us, for some reason. I suspect the spirits hate me, but who knows. I just know that no matter what, she'll face me and not you when her time comes to die."

The assassin said nothing, for yet another of the things she knew was never to admit weakness in front of those you might one day consider an enemy. But in the brief moment where she had come face-to-face with the infamous Blood Drinker, she had felt something of the other warrior's skill, and it was considerable, on a par with even her own, at least in direct combat. Only to herself did she admit that in a short, quick fight, Reki had at least a little chance of emerging victorious. And that, along with Siensao's continued flight from the pursuer she had to know was there, made this assignment the most enjoyable the assassin had ever carried out. If she could feel joy, of course. But she, unlike Karida, had properly studied everything about the steppe before setting out. And so she knew what awaited Siensao in her flight. _It will end at the edge of the world. That, I think, is where both of them will die. But if not there, then somewhere. Sooner or later, there is no running._


	18. Bite of the North Wind

A/N: The Lumin arc is rapidly coming to a close. Thanks as always to Sylvacoer for her beta work and I hope you enjoy the show.

* * *

_The silent man sat amidst ancient ruins, waiting for a certain woman to arrive. In his thoughts he called her the Lady of Whispers. He had, he admitted, a certain fondness of the dramatic. In his line of work, it was a requirement if one wished to retain their sanity. Even a whisper, though, would not go unheard in this place. The glory of the underground city was long past, but the towering glowcrystals lent the crumbling buildings a certain dignity and wonder, while leaving many corners dark, hinting at the secrets hidden there. The quiet was absolute. There the silent man waited, part of the shadows. Such was his role._

_Exactly twenty minutes later - he always knew what time it was, it was in both his blood and a very old habit - two people walked in. There would be more waiting within shouting distance, of course. One of them was an earthbender. His stance, his walk, and his steady bearing named him soldier, a good one. The other was the only person the silent man considered worth worrying about in this place. The Lady of Whispers. The silent man stood up and stepped out into the light behind them, rapping the end of his spear on the ground. The earthbender whirled around, a soldier's grim mask on his face, ready to kill in an instant, but skillful enough to stay his hand. The Lady controlled herself and turned at a normal speed. Seeing him standing there at attention, she smiled, the smile of a tiger-snake looking at its next meal._

_"I apologize for keeping you waiting," she said, her voice low and warm. "I'm sure you've been here for some time. But I consider it bad form to show up to an appointment either one minute early or one second late. Punctuality is a virtue, don't you agree?"_

_The silent man nodded in answer, and gestured for her to lead the way. The three of them walked over to one of the intact houses lining the sides of the cavern, and the earthbender sealed him and the Lady inside the one she chose. Such precautions were also just a matter of form, and he took them in the spirit in which they were meant._

_"You must have known someone would find out eventually," she said. The silent man's smile grew a fraction. There was a point at which protocol became tedious rather than respectful after so many years. "And I know almost everything you've done, so I flatter myself that I know why you've been causing such a stir." She began counting on her fingers. "The blackmailer at the Yum Soon Han estate. The war between the Yellow Scarves and the Tiger Claw syndicates. The scandal centered on Magistrate Zhou. The murder among Lord Yuan's concubines. Did I miss anything?"_

_The silent man held up a single finger and the Lady chuckled._

_"You'll have to tell me what it was later. As I said, I believe I know what you're after and I can offer it to you. Your role in my plans would provide you with a great deal of opportunity to indulge yourself. Also, presuming you pass a small test - just for formality's sake, of course - I'd take you on as my personal assistant. You may or may not know this, but I must tell you now that my plans involve working against your former masters and possibly those of the academy."_

_At the mention of the academy, the silent man bowed low, impressed by her resources and skills at deduction. He'd left no clues behind of his origins he was aware of, but supposed_

_there was no one in the world smarter than him. And he was not an arrogant man. She returned the bow, equally deep._

_"Presuming this is agreeable to you, I'd like your answer now," she said._

_The silent man hardly needed to consider her offer. She had guessed correctly about his reasons as well and his own investigations made her the best choice of employer if he wanted to continue as he had been doing. He extended his hand and she shook it firmly._

_"Thank you," she said. "Now that that's done, there are two things that still bother me. First, why did they take your tongue? Nothing my people have found indicates a cause."_

_He traced a message in the thick dust upon a small table._

_"You're much braver than I," she said, shaking her head. "Second…if I asked what your real name was, would you answer?"_

_He shook his head, and wrote another reply._

_"Well," the Lady said after a moment of silence, "I can respect that. I apologize for intruding. I'll call you by the name you put on your passport, then. Welcome to my service, Zoukani."_

* * *

Zoukani sat next to Kyuzo on top of the Tumen cart, the two of them watching the sun rise. He was listening to the firebender talk. He had heard a lot of things since he'd lost his voice. People seemed to be more willing to pour out their secrets and feelings to a mute man, as though they conveniently forgot he still had hands to write with. Siensao had made good use of this more than once. Kyuzo was no exception.

"I've been thinking a lot, you know," he said, "ever since the battle. Akani's right, you know, she's right. I need to find something worth fighting for. The war's not going to leave me alone. Sooner or later, if I stay with Siensao, I'll be fighting for the Earth Kingdom, right?"

Zoukani nodded.

"Right, you know what I mean," Kyuzo went on. "And you know, I've finally understood something. I really can't go back to the Fire Nation. I tried with the Green Dragons, you know. Sometimes I tried to pretend I was one of them and it'd be a glorious battle when we fought the Tumen, but all it did was make my sick to my stomach. If the Earth Kingdom is just as bad as the Fire Nation it's because we pushed them to it. But I still can't fight my own people. I mean, there are thousands of people like me out there who don't know any other way to live, people like Akani who think the war is the only way to survive, and people that the war has…gotten to. Some of the soldiers on the train, you know, they scared me. They enjoyed thinking about killing someone. I'm just not like that."

He shook his head. "I'm getting off track. Anyway, so I can't go back to the Fire Nation, but I don't think I can fight them...yet. I need something worth fighting for, not fighting against. And I think I might find it in the past. I need to know how this war started and what's been going on since, with both sides. So…I thought you might know who to start talking to about it. I don't know if I can completely believe what Siensao tells me, even though she probably knows the most about history."

Zoukani thought a moment, then wrote a few lines in his sandbox, which lay open next to him. _Siensao's informants. Jomei, though I would be careful asking him. The Water Tribe. Others. Everyone holds pieces of the puzzle._ He might have added his own name, but didn't.

Kyuzo nodded thoughtfully.

"You know, I think you're right about that. Thanks for listening. Hey, if you ever want me to just, you know, shut up for a while, let me know. I mean, I'm sure you get a lot of this kind of stuff from everybody else and, well, I don't want to annoy you or anything."

_I'm not annoyed._

Kyuzo's bright smile was back.

"Oh. Good, good. I haven't had a lot to hope for lately and, well, this isn't much, but it's something."

Jomei clenched his fists, gathering power in the earth beneath his feet, feeling the tension build until it was all he could to keep the power contained. Then he thrust both arms skyward and was flung into the air. Unlike Ganzorig's initial demonstration, though, he rose only about thirty paces, and when he hit ground again, the impact sent a jolt of pain up both legs and he nearly fell on his backside, despite his efforts to soften the ground. Ganzorig, watching his efforts, shook his head.

"You're still too slow. An enemy will catch you on the ground while you're still gathering power. And if you aren't quicker than that at softening the ground for your landing when you go higher or farther, your legs will snap like twigs. In that split second when you're getting ready to move, that's when you're a target. Speed is everything. That being said, you're making good progress."

Jomei shook his head, scowling.

"Not good enough. It's not gathering power that's slowing me down, it's aiming it and only using some of it, since I'll snap my legs off if I go too high. As for softening the ground, it is hard for me to shift focus so quickly, but the main problem is still holding back. If I make the ground too soft, I'll bury myself ten feet deep, but too hard and my legs shatter. It's tough figuring out the right amount on the fly."

Ganzorig nodded with a chuckle.

"I've run into this problem before. And I'm sorry to tell you, but the only way you'll get better is practice. You'll learn to shift focus quickly, recognize how much power you need instinctively, and make adjustments 'on the fly,' as you say. Most Dust Drinkers are not true masters: they take the easier path, learning three or four jump forms they can do without much effort. Their lightning stride forms are quick, but only in certain directions or for short distances, and their rolling thunder forms are weak drummings, without stamina, limited to certain terrain. Practical for what they need, but boxed in by the limits of their effort and imagination. A true master of our art is limited by nothing but the breath left in his body." He looked at Jomei, noticing his unease. "Of course, such mastery takes time and dedication, years,' life's worth. But what's practical will keep you breathing, at least. Now, rest."

The leader of the little Tumen band moved off to attend to some of his tribesmen who had approached and Jomei bent himself a seat and sat down, breathing hard. If he could find a fault with Ganzorig, the man seemed too lenient on his students. To pass the time, Jomei leaned over and dug up Dongzhou's scroll from his pack. He'd started reading the section on how Air and Earth compared to each other and while a lot of it was philosophical junk, he'd finally gotten to a part that dealt with bending directly.

_As Earth and Air are opposites, benders of either element usually encounter great difficulty when striving to understand and make use of the opposing element's techniques and virtues, just as was mentioned previously with Fire and Water._

_The foremost problem encountered by earthbenders is that of freedom and unpredictability. Airbending forms carry with them little risk and much of their style involves quick adaptation to any new elements that are introduced to any situation. Airbending rewards experimentation and spontaneity. Earthbending forms, in contrast, must be practiced extensively before any improvisation or adjustment may be made, and then, made only with the greatest of care, for earth's unbridled power can and will maim or kill if used incorrectly. Earthbending rewards diligence and routine. As such, most earthbenders find it difficult when pressed to adapt their techniques to an unexpected situation. _

_An earthbender may have a different form to execute for dozens of different situations, but if none of the forms he has mastered applies, he may panic and struggle to find a solution. To understand and make use of the virtues of Air, an earthbender must overcome his reliance on routine and practice suddenly adjusting his forms in the midst of their execution. It is recommended that he begin with lower-level forms and practice far away from settled areas, to avoid injury to others and destruction of property. It is also recommended that he begin exercises to increase his speed, particularly speed of thought. Engage in games that test the intellect and demand quick response, seek out new activities and try to learn them as fast as possible. In short, embrace every aspect of life and try to understand it._

Jomei snorted. _In other words, do all the stuff I'm not good at. Great. I'm guessing it'll be workarounds for me too for a long time._

He heard the grass rustle behind him.

"It's good to see you taking an interest in literature," Siensao said, walking up. "Have you discovered some value in the wisdom of the ancients?"

The miner shut the scroll and stuffed it back in his pack, shaking his head.

"Some, yeah, but I've had to dig it out of this thing. It's like following a twisty ore vein. How's your chatting with the crazy spirit woman going?"

"Alaghai," Siensao corrected him absently, "And they're going as well as can be expected. She is persistent and sees much. I was just on my way to speak with her again, actually." _Worse, she seems to understand me without being told much. If times were different and I a different person, I'd give serious consideration to having her killed. She sees too much for her own good._

"Speaking of seeing things…" Jomei stood up, his perpetual frown taking a solemn turn. "Now that we're nearly to Arvaikhir, if it's all right with you, I'd like to know a little more about your plans. I'd like to help out a bit more than I have been. Two heads are better than one, right?"

Siensao raised an eyebrow.

"We simply follow our instructions, seek out the fisherman, secure transport to Jukana, and begin our lessons there. What else would we do?"

"No, not that stuff, I know that already. But I'd bet every silver piece I ever earned that whatever else is going on around this place, either with the war or something else, you've got plans for it and if I can help out somehow, I'd like to do that. Or if not, I'd at least like to know a little about this place we're heading towards so I'll know what kinds of people I'm liable to fight. But it seems to me like it's getting more dangerous for us not to know your plans. Kyuzo might come up with another bright idea. Hell, even I've been known to get one on occasion. And if Reki gets it into her head to make a mess of things, it'll take some fancy talking to get her to back down. I'd as soon stop something like that before it starts and save everyone a lot of pain."

Siensao bowed slightly, a delighted smile on her face.

"Why, Jomei, are you thinking of doing something unreasonable? I appreciate initiative to a point."

The miner gave her a lopsided grin.

"So is that a yes or a no?"

Siensao chuckled.

"As far as basic intelligence, I'm willing to indulge your curiosity, though I can't say it will make you feel any better for knowing." Her expression became serious and her voice took on a lecturing tone.

"The situation with the northern resistance is grim. General Xing's so-called army hardly equals a standard Fire Nation division. Ba Sing Se has abandoned him as a lost cause, as they have everyone outside their walls. The Fire Nation considers the province pacified enough that they've almost finished construction on their new capital and shipped in a new governor to formally take control once the last obstacle is eliminated. Xing's raids will end in bloody defeat, sooner or later, if things continue as they have been going. I intend to aid them in whatever way I can."

Jomei nodded.

"That bad, huh? You're right, I don't feel much better. Anything else you can tell me?"

"I'm afraid that's all I can say for now," Siensao said.

"Nothing about your plans I can help with either? You know you can trust me, right? I wouldn't talk if they caught me, which they won't."

"Not willingly, no," Siensao agreed, "but with the nature of the forces arrayed against me…well…ask me again sometime later. Once we arrive and things become clearer, I'll be able to explain your role in my plans, to an extent. It is possible to give away secrets without knowing you're doing so. Just take you and Reki, for example."

"What do you mean by that?" Jomei demanded, knowing full well what she was talking about.

"Just what I said. Reki's told you about body language giving things away, right? That's all I meant." Siensao's face remained completely calm, but Jomei saw the wink she gave him before turning away and it made him very uncomfortable. He returned to his bending. _Maybe at least I can kick Grandad out of my hammer, I've heard those Water Tribe guys are pretty good with spirits and such._ While Hanhei had continued teaching him in exchange for badgering people, the old man's techniques were getting more and more dark. He'd described ways of concealing earth in case of imprisonment that turned Jomei's stomach, methods using earthbending to torture people for information, and a lot of techniques based around stone spikes, to the point where Jomei was heartily sick of practicing with the things.

The man was looking less and less like the honorable soldier the miner had always heard him described as and more like a thug who happened to have been in the army. So far, that was hardly a bad thing, but sooner or later, he'd come up with something that Jomei would have to refuse to learn. And that would be the end of their deal. He didn't want a pissed-off spirit on his hands, so he'd made up his mind to break things off a little early. He just hoped things went okay until they got to the Water Tribe.

* * *

Alaghai's shelter-the Tumen made liberal use of earthbending to erect temporary shelters during their travels-was nowhere near as unnerving as her tent, lacking most of the spiritual implements she possessed, but the shaman lent any place that she made her home a certain eerie quality. As Siensao entered, she found Alaghai sitting in her customary place at the northern side of the shelter, opposite the door, her eyes closed and hands together in front of her.

"Welcome once again, Siensao," she said softly, then opened her eyes, still peacefully gazing off into some other realm. The merchant had watched others enter the shaman's tent and her identification was unerring as it was inexplicable.

"Thank you," Siensao said, seating herself in her usual place near the door and preparing for the aches and cramps that came along with sitting in the Tumen fashion. "What would you like to speak about this time?" Alaghai's choice of topics could not be predicted. Their previous conversations had included such things as honor, laws, happiness, sorrow, hatred, war, and more besides, wildly varying.

"Let's speak of love," she answered. "Have you ever been in love?"

Siensao might have pointed out that any teenager was mad about someone at least once, that all children loved their family, and so on, but she had learned better than that by now.

"No," she said, and left it at that. "What about you?" The shaman had requested that she speak as freely as she wished, and it was liberating in a way.

"Of course," Alaghai answered, a breezy smile spreading across her face, "but when my talent for spiritual matters manifested, I was forbidden to marry, as is our custom, so that I might focus all my energy on bridging the gap between worlds. I still love him, of course, but it has become easier to bear with time. I am content. Why do you think you have never been in love?"

_Because I can never trust anyone that claims to love me,_ Siensao thought, _because no matter how good I am at seeing lies, I might be wrong. Because nobody that would completely accept me for who I am and can work at my level would be capable of love, any more than I am._ Aloud, she said, "Because I'm too observant for my own good. Do you think it's really necessary to love, since it is forbidden to you, as you say, for your own good?"

"I am a bridge between worlds," Alaghai said, "I must understand and love both. It is very necessary, and another thing that you lack."

"I'm beginning to grow weary of hearing what I lack," Siensao murmured. "So far you've said I lack happiness, sorrow, friendship, compassion, freedom, laughter, and tears. And now love."

"It is not my place to speak of what you do not lack," Alaghai said, laughing quietly. "I said that I would instruct you in our way of life and I have told you what you lack to understand and embrace that life. The rest is up to you. I cannot force change upon you, I can only show you what you are avoiding. I am sorry not to have made more progress, but your time with us has been too short. I have one last question for you, and a request."

"All right," Siensao said, nodding. "I'm listening."

"My question is this: If there was a way you could possess all the qualities you lack, without risk to yourself in any way you might think of, would you want to have them?"

Siensao, to her great surprise, found herself considering the question quite seriously. After all, she could never imagine a situation in which most of those things weren't a risk. But if there were… She nodded, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Yes…yes, I suppose I would."

Alaghai nodded firmly.

"Good. Then you are not beyond hope and given time and the right instruction, you should come around. My request, then, is this: once each day, demonstrate one of the qualities you lack in some way. I think a little practice would not go amiss."

_So long as you give me a good recommendation to our next instructors, I'd play every role in an Ember Island comedy_, Siensao thought, ignoring her faint unease at Alaghai's words.

"Very well," she said.

* * *

Reki sat, meditating upon her state of mind. In the heat of battle with the Green Dragons, she had been able to resist…reverting to what she had been, but it was a near thing. Still, it tempted her to indulge in that most foolish of speculation…hope for the future. That maybe, just maybe, her problems could be resolved. Still she did not know where to begin. If only it were possible to mend the jagged fractures in her mind without straying too far into the waiting darkness. She was no closer to a solution than when she began when she heard Siensao's voice as if calling from a deep valley. Rising up from the depths of thought, Reki opened her eyes and found the merchant standing in front of her.

"You asked me to be here for our next lesson," Siensao reminded her. "Here I am."

"Indeed," Reki said with a sigh, "so I did." She stood up slowly, stretching to ease the cramps of hours spent sitting.

"Let's begin with the _Shifting Waves Upon the Sand_ form, the fourth variation. You still have much to learn of the Dance of the Whispering Wind."

"Before we begin, actually," Siensao began, somewhat hesitant, "I had a thought that I'd like to share with you."

"Speak, then."

"To be blunt, you need help as much as I do and I've had an idea for a while now."

"Why the sudden change of heart? So long as I continue our lessons you've never cared about such things."

Siensao took no offense. She never did when Reki was involved.

"I was told I ought to display some of the more foolish virtues a little more. I thought some compassion was in order for you. You seem to welcome it or at least accept it from Jomei." The merchant smiled, the picture of earnestness.

Reki's answer came a little too fast and a trifle louder than necessary.

"I fail to see how he is relevant to whatever you have in mind or whatever virtues you are attempting to poorly imitate. Get to the point."

"You're not well in the head," Siensao said. "And I think what you need the most is to deal with what happened to your brother."

Reki's eyes went dead and cold.

"I do not recall giving you permission to speak about him," she said quietly, sword hand flexing.

"And you never will give permission to anyone, so I figured I wouldn't bother waiting," Siensao replied. "I'm certain my connections among the Water Tribesmen we're heading towards would include a shaman, or you could talk to Alaghai here. The point is, you could try a spirit channeling or summoning of some kind and try to speak to your brother's shade. It might-"  
"NO!" Reki burst out in a violent shout, hand on her sword hilt and her eyes going from dead to crazed. Siensao took a step back from the sheer presence. The swordswoman quickly recovered, but repeated, "No," in a calmer voice.

"Then what will you do?" Siensao asked, spreading her hands helplessly. "Is there nothing I can do to help?"

"If and when I decide to do something, if you are necessary, I will let you know," Reki snapped. "We will speak no more of this. What I have decided to do now is to test your progress in a different way. Draw your sword and prepare yourself." Reki's own sword leapt from its sheath and the merchant quickly followed suit, tossing aside her staff and assuming the beginning stance of Whispering Wind. _Light and fast, swift and untouchable._ Reki came at her like a steel whirlwind.

As Siensao had expected, it didn't take long. She moved in the swift steps that Reki had taught her, always moving to the side and back, circling the enemy. Reki's blade flickered out, feinting high, then she went for a leg sweep. Siensao jumped over the attack, but the split second in the air left her immobile and Reki levered her sword aside and crashed into her. The desert warrior's free hand came down on her shoulder, found the pressure point, and squeezed. Excruciating pain shot through the merchant's nerves and after a few seconds, her sword fell to the ground, while Reki's blade hovered close to her neck. But she refused to fall to her knees, as she had earlier when Reki had shown her the technique and what to expect from it. She stood. And after a few seconds, Reki let go and lowered her sword.

"You are improving," she noted. "You lasted a few seconds longer than last time. You responded as best you could, given that we have not moved on to advanced evasion techniques yet. When the enemy is faster than you, a better response to a swift advance is to get past them and put yourself at their back. There are many more advanced techniques to use from that point, which negate their speed. But you are adequate in the basics."

"I don't think fighting me or teaching me about fighting will help you avoid the issue," Siensao said. "Quite the opposite, in fact." Recovering her own sword and putting it away, she continued, "I know a lot of things, but not the details of your brother's death, which makes it the only thing that could have resulted in whatever's happened to you. I think whatever happened then is the only place to start making things right. I think you need to tell someone what did happen."

"Or else what?" Reki hissed.

"Nothing," Siensao said with a sigh. "I won't force you to talk. But you know I'm right."

The two women stood for a moment, with the merchant enduring Reki's glare, hoping the desert warrior didn't notice the sweat starting to break out on her brow.

"You call this showing compassion?" Reki finally asked through grit teeth and Siensao suppressed a sigh of relief.

"We all have to start somewhere," she answered. "I'm…not that good at it, I guess."

"I doubt you even understand the feeling," Reki muttered. "It is not reopening old wounds and salting them with a painful truth. It is healing them, and since you know nothing about what you speak of, you have no idea how to do so. You are blundering around in the dark."

"What would you rather I do? Fake concern and act as though I could even begin to understand what you've gone through? I don't, but I'm trying to help as best I can. Honestly, it's more advantageous to me for you to stay as you are, whatever's going on in your head, you've stayed with us this long and I have no idea what you'll do if you do work things out. I'm offering to help anyway." Though Siensao wondered if perhaps Reki was the right person to begin with.

"It seems Alaghai has begun to succeed where I have so far failed," Reki murmured. "She has set you on the right path to fighting a war. It would be foolish for me to argue against it, but I am not the right person to test out your newfound 'compassion' on. I will think on what you have said. I promise nothing more than that. Your offer is appreciated, but I must solve my problems in my own way. Now leave me be. This lesson is ended."

* * *

Jomei sat and glared at a bare patch of earth. Raising one hand, he painstakingly etched intricate characters into the ground with earthbending. The formal writing did not come easily to him, but then, he was lucky to be literate at all. The exercise was one of those recommended by Dongzhou to improve control and he was getting better at it. But it was still tedious. Focused on his work, he barely heard the noise, but he recognized it instantly and his head snapped up. _That was firebending. Kyuzo. This had better be damn good or he's a dead man!_ Leaping to his feet and snatching up his warhammer, he hurried off in the direction from where the crackle of flames had come.

A couple minutes away from the camp, he found Kyuzo standing on the shore of the river they'd been camped nearby, practicing. The firebender was going through a fast sequence, throwing out blasts and arcs of flame that threw up clouds of steam.

"Hey!" the miner shouted at him, "What on earth do you think you're doing? You want to burn up the whole damn plain?"

Kyuzo halted his latest move and lowered his hands slowly. The errant fires sparked by Kyuzo's bending vanished into smoke.

"I'll readily admit I'm terrible at putting power into my bending," Kyuzo said, a nervous grin on his face, "but I've always been one of the best at keeping it under control. I can put out fires better than just about everybody else I know. There's no need to worry about burning down the camp. I just wanted to practice. I haven't really been keeping it up like I should since we got into Lumin." A glum look came over him. "The way things are going, I think I'll need to defend myself."

"I thought you said you're no soldier, that you can't do any fighting," Jomei sneered. "Changed your mind?"

Kyuzo shrugged.

"Well, I can't, but somehow I doubt someone who's trying to kill me will take that into account, so I might as well do the best I can." His nervous smile was back. "I'd offer to spar a bit, but you'd probably kill me."

Jomei snorted.

"Yeah, for once you've got something right. Well, if Ganzorig catches you lighting up the grass, he'll have it in for you, so knock it off."

"Thanks for warning me. That's...oddly kind of you."

"Hey! Don't take it the wrong way. You're still an idiot and a coward and deserve to die. I'd just rather you died fighting. Everyone ought to get a chance to do that." The miner turned to leave.

"Uh, Jomei?"

"What?"

"What do you know about the war?"

Jomei's eyebrows rose.

"What kind of question is that?"

"Well, how did it start? What are both sides fighting for? Why are we still fighting after a hundred years? Things like that. I only know what they taught us in school. I'd like to find out more and honestly, you're one of the only people I can ask that I'm sure will tell the truth."

Jomei scratched his head, very confused.

"So...what, you're thinking of changing sides and you want some advice so you can feel good about it?"

"No, no, nothing like that, I just want to know what happened so I can decide what to do."

"So you're asking a miner from the southern mountains who never even saw the Fire Nation until a year ago and is lucky to be able to read at all?"

"I have to start somewhere, don't I?"

Much as Jomei hated the man, he did have a point.

"Why don't you tell me your version," he said, "And I'll tell you where it goes wrong."

Kyuzo desperately thought back to his school days, remembering the Great March of Civilization lessons and wishing he'd paid more attention in class.

"Well, uh, there was the betrayal of the Air Nation and their Avatar and Fire Lord Sozin's victory over their army at the Battles of the Crimson Skies, that was a big thing back at the start of the war. It made sure the rest of the world knew our power and eliminated the traitorous Avatar as a threat. Do you know anything about that?"

Jomei just stared for a while. _Bones of the earth spirits, he really believes what he's saying. I shouldn't be surprised, but…wow. That's rewriting history for a whole nation._ Finally, he raised a hand to his face with a sigh.

"I'm guessing this is going to take a while," Kyuzo murmured.

"You have no idea," Jomei said.

* * *

It was only late afternoon when the small band of Tumen finally set eyes upon the desolate northern coast. The bleak expanse of tundra was at the height of its brief summer, but it remained barren and empty, the rocky shores showing little sign of life. The great northern mountains reached for the sky towards the east, and straight ahead of them, the lonely fortress town of Arvaikhir huddled inside its walls.

"Great," Jomei said. "Now we get to go back on a boat. I swore I'd never set foot on one of those things again after the last time. If I'd been meant to go sailing, I'd have been born a waterbender."

"Cheer up," Siensao said to him with a smile. "It'll be a much shorter voyage this time. Let's go and find this fisherman."

As the Tumen approached the thick stone gates, Jomei got a better idea of the place's layout. The fort proper was star-shaped, with long walls creating points and wedges of killing fields where any attackers would be caught in a murderous crossfire. The battlements were overhung with crenellations and other structures meant to discourage anyone from storming the walls themselves, and he saw stacks of heavy stones ready to be thrown at regular intervals. The fortress walls rose at least fifty feet, twenty feet higher than those around the tiny town that pressed up against the eastern edge of the base. As the band halted in front of the gates, he saw sentries leaning over the parapet curiously.

"Strange," Reki murmured.

"What's strange?" Jomei asked.

"We didn't encounter any patrols from this place. Why not?"

Jomei didn't have time to consider before the guards yelled down at them, "Who goes there? What business do you have with Arvaikhir?"

Ganzorig answered that question.

"I sent a rider ahead to your chief to warn him of our coming. I am Ganzorig and I lead this Tumen band. We seek shelter while awaiting the arrival of our ships from the east to carry us away."

The guard nodded, recognition tingeing his voice.

"Ah, that's right, Lieutenant Colonel Bao Quan mentioned you'd be showing up. He wants to talk to you as soon as possible after you're settled in. We've got a space cleared for you over to the right, just head that way, you can't miss it. Open the gates!" This last was directed at some unseen earthbenders, for the gates, seeming so flimsy next to Omashu's triple layer of stone, slid open and the Tumen rode into the town. It hardly deserved the name, for it was barely larger than Teoro Village, and seemed to consist mostly of the usual hangers-on one found around an army camp. Food vendors, merchants, and women of loose virtue topped the list.

Most of the Tumen, following the guard's directions, rode off towards the wide open space to set up camp, but Ganzorig, along with Jomei and his companions, halted just inside the gates.

"I'll meet with your chief now," Ganzorig said. "If it's really that urgent, there's no reason to keep him waiting."

As it turned out, the commander kept his offices near the top of the large central building in the fort. The large space was mostly empty, save for a huge stone desk which held a map cluttered with markers and piles of scrolls and papers. Stone panels on the walls covered what had to be windows given the sunlight gleaming at their edges. The man standing behind the desk was reading one of the papers as they came in but quickly put it Colonel Bao Quan was rather young for his rank, but his eyes looked much older than the rest of him. He had earned the rank insignia on his collar.

"Chief Ganzorig," he said, bowing politely. "I'm sure you have many questions, given what you saw on the way here. Suffice to say, the ships you sent have not arrived yet, nor are they likely to so long as this situation persists."

Ganzorig didn't bother hiding his confusion.

"What situation? Does it have anything to do with why we met no patrols?"

Bao Quan's eyebrows rose, then a look of comprehension passed over his face.

"Ah, maybe the walls blocked your view. I forget sometimes just how flat the steppe is." He raised one hand and bent a large stone panel aside, opening a window looking northwards behind his desk. He pointed out towards the sea where from their new viewpoint, a pair red and smoke blackened Fire Navy warships marred the blue of the sea.

"See those two warships there? The bigger one is _Ascendance of the Purifying Flame_, a heavy cruiser. Those throwing-engines can outrange us unless we put most of our earthbenders on artillery duty. The smaller one is _Furious White Blade of the Storm,_ a destroyer. She's built for ship-to-ship combat and can smash just about anything the Earth Kingdom or the Water Tribe's got. Together, they've been blockading our harbor for the last three days. I pulled the patrols back because they spotted a Fire Navy task force heading our way, with many transports, enough for a full division of troops. My orders are clear. In the event of a siege, I'm to hold this fortress for as long as possible and inflict as many enemy casualties as possible. I'd abandon Arvaikhir, but it's a week's journey to the nearest base in the foothills and they'd catch up to us easily. Normally I'd have asked the Tumen to protect our retreat, but your messenger said something about your people having scattered to the winds after pissing off the Green Dragons. Thanks for that." His expression was a smile in name only. "And since I have no intention of allowing able fighters to leave, you're stuck here for the duration, which isn't likely to be long."

A dead silence fell, which Bao Quan seemed to enjoy, glancing over the shocked faces of the group. When someone did speak up, it was in a tone of slight surprise.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Siensao said absently, looking puzzled.

"Yes, I-" Bao Quan began to reply, but she cut him off with a disturbing chuckle.

"No, you really don't understand, this was _not supposed to happen._"

Frowning, he tried again.

"Whether or not-"

Before anyone could react, she'd slammed a fist down on the desk hard enough to make the ink spill and screamed into his startled face, "Shut up and listen! This was NOT SUPPOSED TO FUCKING HAPPEN! They are NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE! Tell me WHY ARE THEY HERE? This place is nowhere! It's nothing! It's a DOT ON THE MAP TO THE FIRE NATION! There's NO REASON FOR THEM TO BE HERE! TELL ME WHY? TELL ME!"

Everyone just stared, stunned by the outburst. Siensao was leaning forward so far that Bao Quan was actually leaning backwards away from here. With her teeth bared and fists shaking, she looked nothing like the mild-mannered merchant she pretended to be. Seeming to realize what she was doing, she brought herself back under control with an effort of will that could have moved mountains.

"I apologize," she said tightly, forcing a smile. "But I have invested a great deal of time and money into taking ship from here and remaining alive in the process. If you would be so kind as to inform Chief Ganzorig why the Fire Nation has decided to invade, I'm sure we would be eternally grateful."

Bao Quan cleared his throat.

"Yes...of course. Last month, other outposts along the coast, west of here, began sending pleas for help against a new Fire Navy fleet headed north with marine and regular army in tow, far too many troops for a raid. We couldn't help them, but enough survivors trickled in for us to figure out what's going on: the Fire Nation is building up for an invasion. We're just the next step on the way to wherever they're going. Now you know as much as we do. Just who are you, anyway?"

"I'm the woman who's going to help you hold this miserable fort until the Water Tribe ships get here and save everyone that can be saved," Siensao answered. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Bao Quan shook his head.

"No ma'am, the more the merrier. But...they might." He gestured out the window and Jomei saw a sight that turned set his blood on fire. There on the western horizon, a black cloud of smoke was approaching, preceded by a rain of hot ash that blackened the steppe, and he saw the faint outlines of Fire Navy ships. The main battle group had arrived. No matter if they'd wanted to run or now, that time had passed. They were trapped at the edge of the world and no one was coming to save them. Nobody noticed the faint smile that crossed Zoukani's face. _This should be...interesting._


	19. Battle of Shattered Stone

A/N: And so the Tumen arc has come to an end. Tune in next time for the beginning of the Jukana arc and witness the awesome power of Water. Thanks as always to Sylvacoer, for her peerless editing work, and enjoy the show.

* * *

Everything burned. A world of flames devoured the twilight sky, choking it with smoke and soot. Jomei ran through the inferno, bare feet seared by hot stone and flying sparks, and the wet rag tied over his nose and mouth was filthy black. Around him, Arvaikhir died, little by little. He reached out to the earth and flung a great mass of dirt at the nearest blaze, smothering the flames. The rest of the earthbenders of Arvaikhir struggled to do the same and save the fort for just one more night. Bloodshot eyes rimmed red from smoke, coughing violently, Jomei ran on, facing more fire than he had ever seen in his life, enough fire, it seemed, to burn down the Earth Kingdom.

The last fire of the night was the toughest. Three separate fireballs from the Fire Nation's throwing-engines hit the central tower in roughly the same place, smashing through the thick stone and setting a bunkroom alight, scattering embers everywhere. With no one up there to stop it, it raged unchecked. Jomei headed up the stairs as fast as he could go.

The white-hot furnace of the room burned the air itself, blinding him like the sun as he reached it. He couldn't even get close enough to start putting it out. Then he heard someone yelling his name, and incredibly, the heat began fading. Looking over, he saw Kyuzo slowly closing his hands into fists, a look of intense concentration on his haggard features. The second the heat had lessened enough for Jomei to approach, he swung his hammer and some of the ceiling fell in, a massive rain of rubble snuffing some of the flames. Then he did it again. And again. But the more of the fire he put out, the more it seemed to die on its own, and even where the debris lay heaped up, the glowing embers flared and went out.

When it was finished, the stone was more like glass and Jomei had to fight his hardest to keep from just collapsing onto the smoldering pile. Instead, he staggered back out into the hallway and leaned against the wall, utterly exhausted. A wave of weariness hit him like a hammerblow and he almost passed out right there. Then he found himself leaning on someone. Kyuzo again.

"Are you having fun yet?" he rasped as he half-dragged the earthbender along, a ghastly smile on his face. "Because I sure am."

Jomei stared at him dully, and shook off the haze clouding his mind with a monumental effort. He stood without the firebender's help. Kyuzo nodded and started heading off to help someone else.

"Thanks, Fire Nation," Jomei called after him, his voice gravelly and thick. "You saved us there. Any more of this and I'll have to hammer a medal into your skull when I smash it."

Kyuzo paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Well, that does it. Now I know I'm in hell."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. It was the kind of laughter known only to those who have faced death together and lived, those whose suffering has bound them in a kind of little world that only they know, caused by jokes that otherwise would never have been made or been funny. The two men wound up leaning on each other as they made their way back down the tower, they were laughing so hard they'd have fallen over otherwise. Those who saw them knew what had happened and smiled a little. They'd made it another day and another night. Two days now since they'd been cast into this pit. Two days since Arvaikhir had been besieged. Two days of hell.

_Jomei stood upon a fortress of steel trapped between oblivion and a nightmare. It was little more than a square-shaped fort, hardly bigger than Teoro, and its metal walls were rusty and dull. On one side of the fort, eternal darkness yawned wide. On the other, strange, savage beasts roamed a dark, steaming jungle. A sluggish silver river flowed past the fort, between the walls and oblivion, gradually eating away at the metal. Jomei knew where he was, if not how he knew._

_"No wonder you've gone mad, Grandad," he muttered, "if this is how you see things. I actually liked mucking around in my dreams better."_

_"Our connection has gotten stronger since you took up my hammer," Hanhei answered, leaning on the battlement next to him. The warhammer in question rested between them, though slightly closer to his ancestor. "We are drawn together by blood."_

_"What do you want this time? For me to ask Siensao or Kyuzo another pointless question?"_

_"I'm getting tired of having to give you your lessons when you're asleep. It's nothing like the real thing and your progress is too slow. I think it's about time you strengthened my connection to the mortal world. If I could talk to you while you're awake, that would solve things."_

_"Let you run around and drive me crazy during the day? No way," Jomei answered, crossing his arms._

_Hanhei smiled and Jomei's gut filled with icy dread._

_"This isn't like before, when I was the weak one and had to accept whatever terms you offered. You've been carrying around my hammer for months and that's bound us. You're my direct descendant and that also binds us. You made a deal with me back in Omashu and that binds us even more. I've had a lot of free time and I've spent it learning my way around the rules of interacting with the mortal world. If you refuse...well, you know for yourself how nasty I can get. I can make your life a living hell."_

_"If that's how you want it, I'll kick you out of _my_ hammer and have done with it!" Jomei growled, cracking his knuckles. "You just said it yourself, you can hurt me, but you'll never kill me."_

_"I can do better. Ever heard of when a demon possesses someone? I'll do that with you and then we'll do things my way all the time."_

_"You haven't got the power to do that," Jomei said, though he didn't know if that was true. Hanhei heard the doubt in his voice and smirked at him._

_"Well, if you want to take that chance, that's fine with me. I've got nothing to lose. How about you? By all means, think about it. But once we get to this Water Tribe place, have a long talk with their spiritualists. They ought to know how to do this right. I'll be watching."_

_Jomei glared at the spirit, hate welling up within him. In a way, he was relieved. It had finally come down to either him or Hanhei. Once it was over, he'd be rid of the old man forever._

_"We'll see," he muttered._

_Then a sudden pain burst apart the dreamworld and oblivion swallowed everything._

Jomei awoke to find someone's fingernails digging into his ear and hissed in pain, scrabbling for his warhammer while he slapped their hand away. Then he remembered where he was and slumped back down.

"I'm awake, Reki," he groaned. "There has to be a less painful way to do that."

She shrugged.

"I stick with what works."

The other defenders were waking around them, some on their own, but most by the night watch finishing their shifts and coveting their bunks. Glowcrystals lit the barracks, but the skylights were pitch black. It wasn't yet dawn, when the Fire Nation would resume the attack. They had a scant hour, maybe less, then they would be plunged back into the war. This hour of peace was all they had left to remind them of a life before the siege, before the world had turned to ash.

Jomei rose to his feet sleepily, yawning mightily. Walking over to the barrel by the door, he threw a handful of lukewarm water in his face. It washed away some of the haze still hanging over his mind, but the weariness was soul-deep. Not for the first time, he wondered how the rest of the war was going, if it was as bad as this. He hoped not.

"Jomei," Reki said, "I would like to speak with you alone. There is something you need to hear."

Her words were like a slap in the face and the miner shook off most of his daze, his mind rousing itself to full attention because _this was important._ He nodded silently and followed Reki as she led the way to where he and Kyuzo had put out that fire last night. No one would have a reason to go there. Just to make sure, he bent a slab of stone across the hallway, then bent them both seats out of the floor. Through the hole in the wall where the fireballs had smashed through, he saw that it was just as dark as he'd thought outside, though watch fires on the battlements burned red in the night. Through the thin wisps of smoke, the stars were fading as a faint light grew in the east.

"I'm listening."

She considered a moment, then began.

"In the past weeks, I have tried to heal the dark places in my mind, but I have failed in every attempt. No amount of meditation has helped and it is becoming harder to remain…myself in battle. These past days have been…terrible contests of will. I fear it is only a matter of time before the person you know is gone."

"Not going to happen," Jomei said flatly. "Not while I'm around."

"For the sake of the world, I hope not. But we must prepare for the worst. The time has finally come to tell the truth of my story. Should things go…badly, I have left Siensao the task of killing the Blood Drinker, but I leave the task of remembering me to you."

Jomei paused a moment, then shook his head, his face grimmer than ever.

"Reki, I…I'm not the right person for that. I'm not great with details, and I'm no storyteller. Don't get me wrong, I mean, I'm honored, but...why me?"

"You are the best option I have," the tribeswoman answered bluntly. "You will speak the truth, no matter what, and you will believe me when I tell it to you. But most of all…you fight for hopeless causes. It is admirable in its own way, and so long as you hold to that, you will tell my story as it was meant to be told."

"I..." Jomei straightened up and took a deep breath. "I'll do my best."

To his astonishment, Reki smiled at him. The expression looked strange, but it lifted, just for a moment, her usual sorrow and bitterness.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Learn this, Jomei; the true warrior does not fight for ideals, causes, nations, vengeance, or hatred. She fights for the warrior beside her. That is something the Blood Drinker never learned. If there is anything worth living for, it is that." Then her smile was gone and the usual Reki returned, solemn and stern. Jomei, never good with words, could think of nothing to say.

When she next spoke, her eyes were blank as she looked far back into the past.

"Looking back, it all began when I had seen five rains. It wasn't the first time I had hurt myself by accident, but it was the first time I tasted blood."

_Her brother had just gotten a dagger as a gift from Father and five-year old Reki was intensely jealous. Not of him, of course, never of him, only that their parents gave him things she wanted. He even let her hold it. With a look of fierce determination on her face, she waved the knife around, playing at being a mighty warrior. Then her brother started laughing. She stopped and frowned at him, pouting, but then started giggling at herself. She went to hand it back to him, but tripped and the razor edge had sliced her finger in an instant. Blood welled up from the cut._

_Then the pain came. Her brother was going to rush off to get Mother, but she stopped him. If she was going to be a great warrior, she had to be able to withstand pain, even though it hurt so much! Bringing her finger up to her mouth, she licked off the blood, hoping it would stop bleeding soon or else her resolve might break. To keep her mind occupied, she hunted for something, anything to focus on besides the throbbing in her finger. That was when she discovered that when she paid attention...she kind of liked how it tasted. It had a bitter iron tang that hinted at even better flavors if she kept on._

_Her brother saw her fascination, of course, and was a little scared, but he didn't say anything about it to their parents, which made Reki very happy. It would just be their little secret. She started having a strange kind of anticipation about the next time she was injured. She wasn't good at being patient._

"So...why do you think you liked it?" Jomei asked hesitantly. "I mean, every kid has done that at some point. What made you different?"

Reki shook her head.

"I wish I knew. I only know that that was when it all started."

She was about to continue when they heard yelling in the distance and noticed the red sun just peeking over the horizon. The stars were fading and in the dawn light, they saw the defenders moving below them. It was time for another day. The last day, probably. Both of them stood at the same time.

"Sorry," he said, "looks like another fight. You'll have to tell me the rest some other time."

"I will do that," she said with a sharp nod. "You have my word." She extended her hand and he grasped it firmly.

"Good luck," she said, "and fight well."

Jomei and Reki were not the only people to spend the precious moments before the sunrise speaking of the past. Kyuzo, struggling to hold back his yawning, listened to Siensao speak of the war. The two of them were sitting upon the eastern wall of the tower, keeping one eye on the growing light and the army below. The merchant's tale was a neat summary of the causes and early years of the war, so precise it sounded rehearsed and probably was. _She's been waiting for me to ask about this, I'll bet. I wouldn't be surprised if she really is writing a book about the whole mess, like she said in Omashu._ Like Jomei's account, her version was very different from what he'd been told all his life. It also differed from the miner's tale.

_"The Fire Nation started this war for no good reason," Jomei said. "They're greedy bastards who just want to rule the world because they think they should."_

_"The Fire Nation, historically, does have a history of being poor compared to the other nations, and has undergone many partial occupations and persistent ruinous trade practices," Siensao said. "However, after Fire Lord Sozin assumed the throne, with the advent of new technology and the influence of Avatar Roku, the Fire Nation was enjoying an unprecedented era of prosperity and power. It was at that point that things could have gone either way. The nation's continued ascent could have been peaceful rather than warlike. But for whatever reason, Fire Lord Sozin chose war and the world has suffered for it."_

_"They killed Avatar Roku and a whole island full of people because they knew he'd never let them get away with it," Jomei said._

_"Avatar Roku's death upon the eve of the Fire Nation invasion was very suspicious," Siensao said. "His opposition to Sozin's plans for conquest was well known, and had, in fact, destroyed their friendship. However, considering that the eruption of his home island was a disaster that left much of the major islands breathing ash for months, I find it unlikely that the eruption itself was initiated by the Fire Nation. Though I have no evidence, I believe Sozin simply took advantage of it to eliminate the last obstacle to his plans without consulting anyone, least of all his own people, who would not, I imagine, take kindly to what he had done."_

_"The only reason the Fire Nation's gotten this far and kept going is because they hit us hard when that comet showed up, they've got all these war machines and they burn everything in sight," Jomei said. "If we had all the stuff they've got, we'd win this war, no problem."_

_"The reasons for the Fire Nation's success are...complicated," Siensao said. "But while tactics and technology have played a major role, it is also the Earth Kingdom's own flaws that has gotten us to this point. If you like, I will explain more about these things later."_

_"No matter how they try and hide it with all their 'spreading culture' crap, they're just greedy bastards and always have been since the start," Jomei said, "and they've conned you into believing their lies. The only good reason to fight is if you're defending something worth fighting for. They attacked us. This is our land, never theirs. And if you understand all this, I'll count it as a miracle."_

_"The Fire Nation as a whole has been transformed by the war that the Fire Lords started and continue even now," Siensao said. "The commoners of the homeland have been forced to give everything to the war effort, even when it has become clear to those who can see that there is no point to further bloodshed other than power and control. It is that desire for power that has consumed Fire Lord Ozai. It stopped being about the welfare of his people a long time ago. Why else would Sozin have killed the Air Nomads, down to the last child, a people sworn never to kill? Why else would Azulon have ordered the city of Taku destroyed, along with all its inhabitants, when the production of the area has still never recovered and stalled the offensive more than it should have? And why else does Ozai continue to destroy without real benefit? Power. Throughout history, that is all it has ever been. For the sake of the world, the Fire Nation must be stopped. It is not an easy thing for you to accept, I know. But it is the truth."_

Kyuzo needed more information. Jomei didn't know a lot and Siensao might have altered a few facts. He needed to talk to someone who didn't have a personal stake in the war. He needed to talk to the Northern Water Tribe.

* * *

The sun rose blood-red into a smoky sky, revealing the devastation both sides had wrought. Arvaikhir was bleeding, wounded near to death, still standing only through the sheer will of those who stood atop its crumbling walls. The great walls were shorter than they had been, shot through with cracks, and whole sections smashed away in places, the yawning gaps hastily filled with quick earthbending and rubble. The courtyard inside the walls was littered with craters where fireballs had landed and most buildings lay in ruins. The tall central tower's proud heights now ended in jagged stone and splintered wood, and what was left looked ready to fall. If the fort was in bad shape, so were its defenders…what was left of them.

In two days, the soldiers of the Earth Kingdom and the townspeople who had lent their hands to the defense, had been reduced to barely half of the number they'd started with. The dead were burned _en masse_ on pyres in between Fire Nation assaults, a violation of Earth Kingdom custom that cast the defenders into despair. But there was no choice – there was no chance to bury them and disease was the terror of the besieged. Now, tired beyond words, they stared out at the massive Fire Nation camp.

The Fire Nation soldiers, whose banners proudly declared them to be the 29th Division, the Fire Knives, encircling Arvaikhir in massive earthworks without challenge, cutting it off all hope of rescue. In the two days while their soldiers assaulted the walls, the engineers assembled the siege engines that would demolish the walls once and for all. Throwing-engines were placed at regular intervals to aid those mounted on the warships floating offshore. Platoons of tanks fired up, preparing for the next attack, many of them sporting dents from the previous days. Komodo rhino cavalry waited patiently, ready for whatever opportunities arose. And a veritable sea of black and red infantry milled about, forming up into ranks. The town just outside the fort, its own walls breached long ago, was a burned-out ruin, avoided by both forces.

Jomei leaned heavily on his warhammer, looking out at the Fire Nation with grim resolve. Deep down, he wasn't sure they could handle another day. They just didn't have enough people. But he would fight until he died on his feet. He had to believe they could win, so he did. Bao Quan came down the line, talking to everyone, saying a few words where they were needed most, raising their spirits a little. Siensao was with him, somehow managing to retain something of her good looks, and that alone made her someone people listened to in the pit of hell Arvaikhir had become. When she talked, when she told people they would survive, they believed her.

When the two of them reached Jomei, Bao Quan clapped him on the shoulder.

"Jomei, right? I saw your work on the east wall yesterday. That was some good earthbending. Think you can do it again?"

"Yes, sir, I can," Jomei said with a sharp nod.

"Just one more day and we've won," Siensao said with an encouraging smile. "That's all we need. I know you can give us one more day." Jomei knew that was true, one way or another. _One more day is all we can do, no matter what, so if the ships don't get here, we're dead anyway._

"Fight to live," she added, quietly, before the two moved on. Jomei shook his head slightly. Fighting had less to do with it then most thought. Hanhei had told him and now he believed it, with a siege, and with a war, at some point, you didn't survive because of strength or skill. For whatever reason, you were just luckier than the poor bastard next to you. Hundreds of people were dead. He'd seen them blown apart and burned to death and killed in a dozen other ways while he kept going. At some point, it was just luck. Except for Reki and Siensao. He was pretty sure death didn't dare touch Reki and Siensao probably planned for the event. For him, though, it was luck and he knew it. He just hoped it would hold out a little longer. He'd been burning through it pretty fast lately. Straightening up and hefting his hammer, he grinned out at the nation he hated.

"So what?" he said to the man next to him, "it takes thousands of them to take us down? They're worse than I thought."

The other man chuckled.

"Yeah, is that all they've got? I'm still here. I'm still here you bastards!" The last words were directed towards their besiegers. More shouting rose from the walls. Soon enough everyone was joining in, taunting the Fire Nation, daring them to come and die. For one brief moment, Arvaikhir stood proudly again. Then they saw fire racing across the trenches. The command to ignite had been given. The moment stretched on forever, with everyone waiting, holding their breath, for the first strike to fall. A dead silence fell. When the blow came, it fell like lightning and hit like thunder. A salvo of fireballs from both the camp and the ships offshore arced up into the sky, crosshatching it with smoke and soot, and fire rained down upon Arvaikhir once again.

The fireballs hit hard across the fort, some of them demolishing more of the central tower, which shuddered under the impact, others striking across the courtyard, but most of them delivered devastating blows to the walls, whole sections shattering, breaking off, or cracking apart, lethal fragments of stone shooting in every direction, mangling anyone in their way. One fireball hit near Jomei, but he'd seen it coming and thrown up a shield for himself and the others nearby. Bits of stone rattled off it like heavy rain. It seemed to take forever for the walls to stop shaking, but they did and the defenders stood back up.

Under the cover of artillery fire, the Fire Nation advanced fast, tanks speeding across the broken ground, grappling hook cannons raised and ready to fire. They knew how to dodge the fort's own artillery, zig-zigging across the plains, and the infantry scrambled after them, some companies through trenches, others taking cover behind or even hanging onto the tanks.

"EARTHBENDERS," Bao Quan shouted, his voice rising over the roar, "FIX THOSE WALLS! EAST COMPANY, PREPARE FOR ATTACK!" The Fire Nation's main attack usually came out of the east during the morning, so the sun was at their backs, and vice versa at evening. Usually.

Jomei, along with the other earthbenders, turned their attention to the walls, compacting stones back together, mending cracks, piling rubble back where it belonged and roughly fusing it together. Ordinary soldiers gripped whatever weapons they had, others held long poles, and the healers got ready for casualties. The fort braced for attack.

Another salvo of fireballs burned across the sky and came crackling down at them.

This volley was perfectly timed to occupy the earthbenders, as grappling hooks flew upwards. Some of them were deflected by clever earthbending, a few were knocked aside by the men with long poles, but most of them caught and held fast on the battlements and the whine of steam winches rose into the air as they hoisted tons of iron upwards, on all sides of the fort. The tank gunners kept busy, directing constant fire blasts at anything within sight, and infantry with bamboo siege ladders came running up.

One of the hooks caught near Jomei, so he raised his hammer and cracked off the stone it had caught on. Deprived of an anchor, the hook shot back over the wall, taking part of the battlements with it. Even before he did so, another hook sailed past him and latched on, so he knocked off another chunk of stone. The tank, which had only ascended a few feet, crashed back to earth, and quickly reeled the hooks back in to launch again, and in another minute, more fireballs would give them their opening.

The siege ladders rapped against the lip of the walls. The Fire Nation soldiers had learned that all they had to do was just keep putting the ladders up and they'd keep some defenders tied down, without even having to climb them. The third volley of fireballs slammed into the walls, killing a couple more people and carrying away more stonework. Jomei let out a great roar and knocked off another grappling hook, then hefted a big stone and threw it downwards after the hook. A loud clang rose up, but when he glanced over, he nearly took a fire blast to the face. The tank was dented, but unharmed, and kept on going.

Up in the central tower, Siensao sat on the shattered summit, surrounded by a small group of spotters who coordinated the efforts of those manning the walls with a variety of shouts and agreed-upon signals. At first she'd helped Bao Quan's second-in-command with the job, but he'd been killed yesterday and she'd taken over. Her job was to coordinate everything while Bao Quan led from the direction where the danger was greatest. The Lieutenant Colonel was a formidable earthbender and needed more on the line than here. She shifted soldiers this way and that, had healers flitting around like hunting raven-eagles, and made sure each section had enough people to hold the line, all the while watching for enemy movements and preparing to receive them in style.

Kyuzo sprinted about, putting out all the fires he could to stop the smoke hampering the defense. He was already winded, gasping for breath, and it hadn't yet been half an hour since he opening strike. He'd never put out so many fires in his life and was already deathly tired of pitting his feeble will against the raging infernos ignited by the fireball barrage.

Reki, along with a specially picked company of soldiers, waited behind the gates, where a Fire Nation battering ram was at work. Protected by a massive iron shell, assisted by enemy earthbenders, the ram continually pounded away at the great gates, which held together by the will of their own earthbenders. If it broke through, it was her job to stop it. Until that point, though, she waited, occasionally sipping from a jug of wine held in one hand, and watching the fighting. When she was needed, she would be ready.

Jomei's world had dissolved into an endless blur of earthbending and hammerblows, along with constantly praying the next fireball wouldn't him, that he was fast enough to block it or get out of the way. Then, unbelievably, it stopped. He found himself standing still, with nothing to fight, nothing to do. The tanks turned and trundled back towards the enemy lines, the infantry took down the siege ladders and ran off, traitor earthbenders hauled off all the stone they could to stop the defenders rebuilding the walls. Jomei slumped on the battlement in front of him, his heart thundering in his ears. It would take the Fire Nation maybe an hour to change out the tank crews, get new infantry ready, make repairs, and plan their next advance. They'd survived the first wave of the day.

As the day wore on, the tide of black and red surged forward to engulf Arvaikhir again and again, but each time, do what it would to wear away the stone, it ebbed away, beaten. The defenders' ranks were thinning. The flames were spreading. They were smashing down their own walls, bit by bit, to stop the tanks. But the critical hour came at sunset, during the last assault of the day, as the waning light turned everything to fire and blood. It was the worst. It always was. The defenders fought like demons. Bao Quan's left arm was badly burned by a fireball and that whole side of his body was peppered with stone splinters, but he had the useless limb strapped tight to his body and went back into the fight immediately. His people were nearly dead on their feet, some _had_ died on their feet, falling down and not getting up again. But the defenses still held fast. The walls were still tall enough to keep off their attackers. The gates still held firm. Nobody noticed the soldiers hauling barrels up to the base of the walls, where the most serious gaps had been made and filled with rubble.

Then the west and south walls exploded.

The blasting jelly completely destroyed a huge swath of the walls in two places, breaching them. The komodo rhinos charged across the field towards the openings and infantry poured out of the trenches and sprinted to the attack as the first tanks rolled in, while others began flying up the siege ladders in earnest. Deprived of earthbender support, the battering ram began chipping away at the gates, shattering stone. And still the throwing-engines pounded the fort. Siensao saw the defenses dissolving into chaos and despair and smiled. This moment had been prepared for.

The tanks went first. No sooner had they rolled in then the ground collapsed beneath them and they sank into a deep ditch, dug around the entire perimeter when they'd needed earth to rebuild the walls. Earthbenders buried the war machines in landslides of dirt. Ganzorig's Tumen, mounted and ready in the courtyard, met the oncoming infantry in a head-on charge, firing arrows into the ranks as they rode forth, out past the breaches, forming up into battle lines against the rhinos and their riders. Reki's special company, after putting an arrow through the lookout for the battering ram, descended from the walls and fell upon its crew from behind. Blood spilled, bright against black iron.

"ARTILLERY!" Bao Quan bellowed hoarsely, "TARGET THE RHINOS AND LAUNCH!"

The earthbenders on the walls savored the single chance they'd had so far to show off their long-range power. A volley of heavy stones soared through the air. One company of rhinos successfully dispersed before the boulders hit, which left them easy prey for Tumen arrows and Dust Drinkers. One didn't. The immense rocks slammed into the Fire Nation cavalry, flattening them like bugs underfoot. And again, the Tumen charge blasted through the weakened lines before turning back for the fort, where earthbenders had been working frantically to seal the breaches and had finally raised barricades against the infantry, who were throwing fire blasts up at the defenders and trying to climb up to the attack. The siege ladders lay toppled and abandoned, and the Tumen rode down anyone in their way as they raised a ramp back into the fort, and lowered it behind them, leaving the fort more vulnerable than ever, but still defensible. The defenders cheered the Tumen riders wildly as they returned. But if the Fire Nation wanted to, they could attack again and take Arvaikhir. It would take time, but it could be done.

At that moment, Bao Quan and Siensao were gambling on their impressions of the Fire Nation general. He was a cautious and patient man, since he hadn't simply thrown everything he had against Arvaikhir and captured it in a single day at the cost of many lives. He either didn't have enough engineers to risk sapping tunnels or didn't have confidence in them until today's desperate attempt to finish the siege off. The double-breaching of their walls had probably consumed the last of his ordnance, if this were the case. Now the sun was sinking fast. In that moment, Siensao held her breath and waited for their assessment to be proved right.

One of her lookouts was the first to spot it happening.

"I…I don't believe it," she whispered. Then, in a rising shout, "They're retreating! The Fire Nation is falling back! We've won! We did it! We held the line!" Siensao let out a sigh of relief. Whether because of this attack's failure and the resulting demoralization of the army or the growing darkness, the Fire Nation had decided they would rest another day and take the fort tomorrow. Then the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. Siensao spotted a bank of fog drifting in from the northeast, along the coast, far off in the distance. The Water Tribe had arrived.

"After an hour or so, dig out one of those tanks and dump the bodies," she said to one of her relayers. "Maybe we can take it with us when we go. The Earth Kingdom could use any information regarding how they work. Get everyone together by the northern wall and tell them to get some sleep, we'll set a skeleton watch and wait for nightfall. Be ready to wake everyone at a moment's notice, we're leaving soon. Oh, and I'm sure the Lieutenant Colonel will make this official, but I'd gather our most trusted earthbenders and tell them to report to him immediately, he'll have work for them to do. If they kill the messenger, both he and I will be very upset."

* * *

Night fell on Arvaikhir and Jomei found himself on one of the strangest jobs he'd ever been assigned. A secret tunnel ran under Arvaikhir to the north, big enough for two people walking side by side, and it came to a dead end, where the cold northern ocean was kept out by a thick stone wall. On the other side, he was told, a thick layer of mud and sea plants had long since hidden the other side of the wall. He and the other earthbenders and soldiers here were guarding something the Fire Nation couldn't possibly know about, the best kept secret of Arvaikhir. It was hard to stay awake, knowing that, but Bao Quan and Siensao both had assured him it was important. So he yawned and pinched himself and chatted with the company to keep alert, wondering how long he'd have to wait.

Then he heard the rumble of earthbending and a section of the sea wall broke free, moving outwards. He braced himself for the fountain of seawater that was sure to result, scrambling to bend another wall, but the company leader shouted for everyone to stand fast, it was all right. Disbelieving, Jomei watched as the rest of the wall was hauled away, revealing an extraordinary sight.

Their way out had arrived.

Earthbenders in ragged Earth Army uniforms were shifting the wall, while people in blue and white furs held back the ocean, their graceful movements like no bending he'd ever seen before. The weight of the water above them was nothing. Beyond them, a ship floated serenely, the dark ocean within inches of the mast tops but not advancing beyond that. More waterbenders kept it safe from the deep and held open a path where the earthbenders had raised stone ramps out of the muddy sea bed to the deck. More ships waited behind it, enough to carry everyone.

Jomei's eyes were wide and he was grinning like a fool. _No wonder Bao Quan and Siensao were so confident we could make it! This is incredible! Those bastards will never see this coming!_

Then the word came down from above, echoing down the tunnel.

"We're under attack!"

Jomei turned and ran, charging through the tunnel towards the fort, hoping he wasn't too late.

* * *

Siensao was trying to figure out how the captured tank operated when it happened. Light flared up at the breaches and the barricades they'd raised burst inwards in an explosion of shattered stone. The battle cries of the Fire Nation filled the night as they charged in to attack. They were risking a night attack in the hopes that they could wipe out the defenders quickly. Siensao immediately popped the hatch and scrambled out of the tank, yelling for Kyuzo and Zoukani to follow her. Jumping down, she ran for the northern side of the fort, where most of the defenders had gathered, though Ganzorig's Tumen riders were dashing about, doing their best to buy time, along with a few volunteers, people who had known this might happen and who were willing to die to let everyone else escape.

Then she felt a stabbing pain at her neck and her questing fingers came away with a dart. Almost immediately a wave of nausea swept over her and cutting pains jabbed at her heart. She stumbled, her vision blurring.

"_Gu _poison…" she murmured. She saw a dark shape uncurl out of the shadows, a blackened blade sliding free of its sheath. She was about to die.

* * *

Reki was on watch on the walls when it happened. But no sooner did she see the attack in progress than the wall underneath her rippled and dissolved into a great wave of sand. Reki sprinted a few steps, then dove for the edge of the wall that remained stone. Catching on with one hand, she hauled herself up, hearing a frustrated scream from below.

"Why won't you just die?" Karida shrieked up at her, rising up on a pillar of sand in hot pursuit. Reki threw a glance over her shoulder and saw the sandbender running after her, but clearly favoring one leg and unable to keep up. She slammed down one foot and more stone dissolved into sand out ahead of her. Reki leapt again, clearing the collapsing wall by the slimmest of margins. Then she skidded to a stop at the breach in the western wall. Hard-packed earth waited thirty feet below and there was no way she could clamber down the jagged edge in time.

She turned around and raised her sword, facing down the charging sandbender, the night wind picking up about her. Karida again slammed down one foot and the wall under Reki fell apart. But this time an avalanche of sand fell onto the Fire Nation troops coming in through the breach. Their surprised cries were abruptly cut off as Reki rode the sandslide all the way down, running for the tunnel as soon her feet hit something semi-solid.

"Oh, no you don't!" Karida yelled, "Not this time!" Reki glanced back and saw Karida coming after her, riding a churning mound of sand across the courtyard, far too fast to outrun. Again, Reki turned and stood, preparing to defend herself. She would only get one chance at this. Karida's hands drew back, readying a blast of sand that would strip flesh from bone. Reki crouched slightly and slowly breathed out.

Karida's hands came forward.

Reki _jumped_ like an enormous grasshopper, forward and up, clearing the worst of the sand by a hair. Karida had her sand armor on, but as before, the area around her eyes was unprotected. Reki's sword flashed out, quick as lightning, and Karida's scream split the heavens. Reki landed well, rolling to her feet as the wave of sand collapsed behind her. Karida slammed backwards, one hand to her face, trying to stop the tide of red seeping through her fingers. Reki belatedly noticed that her feet and shins were torn and bleeding from the bits of the sand blast that had connected, her shoes and clothes in that area reduced to little more than rags. But the gamble had worked. It was over.

"MY EYE!" Karida howled, getting up as though she was drunk, staggering. "YOU STABBED OUT MY EYE, YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!"

"Stop whining!" Reki snapped. "I tried but I missed. It is a bad cut and I may have nicked your eye. Just wait a minute and I'll correct my mistake!"

"I'M GOING TO CRUSH YOU INTO FUCKING PULP!" Karida roared, and the two women charged towards each other again.

Then Karida was hit from behind by a furious fire blast that sent her sprawling. Her armor didn't block the heat and she let out a yell, bending the hot sand away from her skin. A second fire blast washed over her and over the crackling of the flames, Reki heard yet another scream. When the flames died away, Karida was gone, having burrowed away again, and Kyuzo slowly lowered his hands, smoke drifting from his fingertips. He looked terrified out of his mind and angry enough to boil seas. Cursing, Reki caught him up as she ran for the tunnel. Karida would have to wait. Again.

* * *

The assassin's knife had just pierced her clothes when Siensao spoke, as loudly as she could.

"Dark lantern…pierces," she said, and the knife stopped. The assassin was as still as if she'd been encased in ice. Siensao began to fall, but a pair of strong arms caught her. Zoukani. She heard a voice speaking, then something warm trickled down her throat. Her strength and wits began recovering, ever so slowly. As her vision cleared, she saw a woman in dark clothes and a mask, still with a knife held to her throat.

"Who are you and what light do you cast?" the assassin asked in the same raspy growl familiar to the Green Dragons, unconcerned with the battle raging about them. Siensao had to think about the correct response for a few crucial seconds. Her mind seemed buried in mud.

"I am," she finally croaked, "a dark lantern…yet my light…pierces through the plots…of our enemies."

"Who are our enemies?"

"All those who would deny...the greatness of the Fire Nation."

The assassin returned her knife to its scabbard.

"Papers," she said, holding out a hand.

Siensao tried to raise her hand, but Zoukani carefully took out a dagger, slit open her sleeve, and removed a slip of rice paper, handing it over. The assassin looked at it, and smiled behind her mask.

"You are lying," she said. "You are not a Fire Nation spy, yet you know the countersigns and have the seal of citizenship." She bowed formally in the Fire Nation style, then tucked the paper away in a pocket. "I will verify the falsity of this and return. You are now the single most challenging target I have ever been assigned. Enjoy the distinction while you can." Her voice, while still ragged and growling, managed to convey a casual tone that left Siensao speechless. The assassin stepped off the stairs, vanishing into the night like a spirit, leaving the merchant still suffering the effects of the poison-which was lethal without proper preparation-and knowing that she'd gotten very, very lucky. _But she's made one mistake. She's shown herself without eliminating the target, just as planned. That's all I need._

"You saw her?" she asked Zoukani. The soldier nodded, grinning, and Siensao returned it with a smile of her own. "Good. I owe you my life again. The third time will be the tricky one, though. I look forward to seeing you pull it off." She stood again, a little wobbly, but the Fire Nation soldiers weren't going to go easy on her just because she'd nearly died from poisoning.

"Let's go," she said to Zoukani. "We have to get to the tunnel!"

Jomei raised himself up on a column of stone, having fought through the press of people fleeing down the tunnel. Taking his warhammer from his back, he began a headlong sprint out into the darkness, and nearly ran into Reki, Siensao, Kyuzo, and Zoukani, all running together.

"Oh…" he said, surprised, "Good, you're all alright!" Reki's lower legs were shredded, Siensao was deathly pale and weak in the knees, and Kyuzo looked like he was about to throw up. Jomei shrugged. "Come on, then! Everybody's just about out!"

The five of them rode a stone platform down to the bottom of the tunnel and, together with the last of the defenders, ran towards safety. They heard Fire Nation voices shouting close behind them, but they made it past the first waterbenders just in time. Then the northern ocean came rushing in. Jomei turned around just in time to see the Fire Nation soldiers' expressions of realization and horror just before the water hit them, washing them away.

"Keep moving!" one of the waterbenders urged them. "Their ships won't be fooled by that fog for much longer!"

Jomei ran.

As the Water Tribe ship rose dripping from the depths, Jomei saw that they had let the fog lapse in order to sail faster. No longer bothering to conceal themselves, the waterbenders propelled the ship away at great speed. The Fire Nation wasn't bothering to pursue, not in the dead of night, against people who fought their best on water. A few distant fires were all that remained of Arvaikhir. The miner leaned on the railing and watched the ruined fort fall away behind them. The northern coast lay defenseless before the Fire Nation.


	20. Music of Running Water

A/N: And so we begin the Jukana Arc. My new internship limits the time I can write, but I'm still writing whenever I get the chance. Thanks as always to Sylvacoer for saving me from the worst of my mistakes, and enjoy the show.

The summer sun shone brightly upon an old fishing boat as it plied the waves of the cold northern ocean, heading east along the rocky coast. The wind's frosty bite stayed sharp, and the Aikou Mountains, shrouded in ice and snow, towered overhead to the south, vanishing into the clouds. Their slopes gave way to bare, dark rock and jagged bluffs, lashed by the waves, which foamed against them in a thunderous refrain. The boat was one of many, with the breaking wave symbol of the Water Tribe on their flags and sails, but it was here that Jomei had broken his oath to never again set foot on a ship. So far, he saw no reason to enjoy the experience any more than the first time. Certainly, part of that involved the firebender leaning on the rail to his right, but, disturbingly, not as much as it had earlier. Kyuzo was...different.

"So that's what Siensao said," Kyuzo concluded his long-winded explanation of what the merchant had told him about the war's beginnings. "Does any of it seem odd?"

Jomei shrugged.

"Don't know, don't care. And I don't figure the Water Tribe knows any better. Beats me why you're so obsessed with ancient history."

"Well, excuse me if I prefer to make absolutely sure that going to war against my own people is the right thing to do," Kyuzo replied. "I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable person either, especially since apparently most of what they taught us in class was a bunch of lies and half-truths." He scratched at the still-healing scars on his face from his time in the Green Dragons' torture chamber in a thoughtful habit. "If Fire is the superior element, you can't prove it by me, I know that much."

Jomei snorted.

"I can prove that wrong right now. If it's philosophical reasons to fight you want, I've got plenty of them in this scroll. Here." He dug the scroll out of his pack and handed it over. "Try not to burn it before you get to the part where it talks about how all the elements are equal and such. And I'll want it back."

Kyuzo carefully put the scroll away in his own pack with a weak smile.

"Uh, thanks, I'll be sure and take a look at it. I'm actually kind of fond of debates."

Jomei waved dismissively.

"Eh, I'm not getting so much use out of it these days. Have to focus more on the actual practice than reading about it." He paused, and cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable in the extreme.

"Hey, listen, I don't think I ever got around to saying this, but you did good back at Arvaikhir. You put out quite a few fires and Reki tells me you gave Karida a bad sunburn. I'd have rather you fought a bit more, but you were more use doing what you did, Siensao was right about that."

It was Kyuzo's turn to shrug, though he still sported a nervous grin.

"I'm no soldier and I don't like to fight. But it's time I changed the former. Do you think you can spar a bit without killing me?"

Jomei scowled.

"No promises, but I'll think about it. Might do me some good, I can't be going nuts in every fight against firebenders. That kind of stuff gets you killed, Reki tells me."

"Hey, you two!" one of the boat's crew called over, "We'll reach Jukana in another hour, you've got to get back below deck!"

Jomei nodded back at him, waving to show he'd heard, and turned to go.

"Uh, Jomei?" Kyuzo asked.

"What?" the miner snapped.

"What changed your mind about me? You're being awfully nice...for you, I mean."

Jomei raised an eyebrow.

"I would ask you to tell me you're not that stupid, but you've had enough lies for a long while. You had your big chance to sell us out and go back to the war on the wrong side, but you didn't take it and you got those cuts for your trouble. I'm like Reki. I figure actions are what count. Don't get me wrong, you're still a little shit who refuses to shut up and get to fighting, but you're on our side. So don't screw it up like you did before and you might do all right. You've got to use everything you can in war. Might be I've started to figure that out. Come on, we don't want to keep these guys waiting."

Kyuzo followed the earthbender down into the dark interior of the boat, scratching at his scar again.

While Bao Quan and the survivors vouched for them, Jomei and the others were still outsiders and therefore, the secret of Jukana's location was not for them to know. So they stayed in dim rooms that stank of salted fish while the boat sailed on, until Reki became violently seasick and Jomei barely managed to avoid following suit. He thought he heard a few things. The roar of a waterfall smashing into the waves, the grinding of stone on stone as a gate opened through earthbending, but he didn't know for sure. Then, after an eternity, they were led back up on deck. Jomei let out a low whistle.

They were inside a gargantuan cavern, how deep within the mountains, he had no idea, but it was clearly man-made, with immense stone columns bigger around than the boat stretching up towards the roof. That roof was clear of stalactites, but was instead studded with giant glowcrystals, the kind that took months or even years to grow, as bright as the sun. Smaller crystals illuminated a town, rising up a long slope at the back of the cavern, the front being mostly still water across which the fishing boat moved slowly, propelled solely by waterbending now.

_Now I know how these guys have hidden from the Fire Nation for this long. Impressive, but after Omashu, not so much._ He chuckled at himself. He was becoming quite worldly these days, when a whole underground town wasn't the most incredible thing he'd ever seen.

As they drew closer to the docks, waterbenders riding little wooden skiffs came rushing out, circling the approaching ships and calling out to people they recognized, asking questions, making demands, hurling insults. A blistering stream of invective went back and forth for some time between the ship crews and the skiff riders, but Jomei focused more on the town itself. It was sculpted stone, but not at all like the square, solid style of the Earth Kingdom. The stonework here was smooth and curving, like the town had just been worn out of the earth. At least part of a river must have been channeled over to the back of the cavern, for the town shimmered with water as it ran through countless aqueducts, gutters, spirals, and other stonework sculptures, emerging in a noisy torrent at either side of the town.

Their boat settled in by one of the docks at last and Jomei made good his escape from the sea. He paused a moment, then in a sudden blur of motion, unlimbered his hammer from his back and tossed it into the water. The weapon made a bit of a splash as it sank out of sight. Jomei staggered as he was struck by a sudden vision of Hanhei screaming and his skin crawled. He felt _something_ scrabbling at the corners of his mind, trying to get in. But he was too far away and it quickly faded. Seeing everyone nearby staring at him, he straightened up and glared back at them.

"I'm fine," he stated firmly, "And I can explain later. Long story."

While they were doubtful, it was enough to send them back to whatever they were doing. Siensao moved up beside him.

"Were you planning that or was it a spur-of-the-moment thing?" she asked with a smile.

"If it came to it, I was going to toss it into the ocean," Jomei replied. "But this works better. Now I can go get a spiritualist, then get it back and kick the old man out of the thing. Couldn't tell anyone, though, couldn't even think too hard about it or I expect he'd have known. Had to do it quick. If I could've consulted you, I would've. Sorry about that."

She shook her head.

"No need to apologize. It worked, and that's what's important. I take it that your deal with him has come to an end."

The group continued onwards, into the town of Jukana. As they walked, Jomei took careful note of the inhabitants. The people were a mixture of Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom, of course, but no one wore Earth Kingdom colors, it was blue and white as far as the eye could see. More than that, they looked grim. There weren't any children to be seen, and people talked in low voices, muffled by the running water. They shied away from the newcomers, watching them carefully, like they might do something. Even in the Tumen camp, there had at least been life in spite of the war. It reminded him of his imprisonment in Teoro. He almost reached for his hammer before he remembered it wasn't there.

The fishing boat captain, the very same Jighasuci that they'd been told to meet - evidently he'd been visiting Jukana when Arvaikhir came under siege - had given them directions to where both instructors for the Path to the Horizon lived. There came a point when they had to split up.

"Um, do you guys mind if I just wander around for a bit while you go to your lessons or whatever?" Kyuzo asked as they paused. "I don't think it's really necessary for me to be there."

"If you like," Siensao said, then glanced to her bodyguard. "Zoukani, keep an eye on him, if you would. Make sure he doesn't get into more trouble than usual. And Kyuzo?" She lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in close. "Don't even think about firebending. You would be killed on the spot or taken to Xing's people and there will be nothing I can do about it. Until I get the chance to explain things to him, you do not bend a spark. I trust you understand."

Kyuzo nodded, a nervous sweat breaking out.

"Yes, yes, I understand. Believe me, you don't need to worry."

Siensao's calm smile was back.

"Good." She turned to Jomei and Reki, who had been watching the exchange with strangely similar smirks.

"I'll go and meet Siku, then. We'll all meet up at sunset at the cataract on the east side of town, all right?"

"Sure," Jomei said with a nod, and Reki inclined her head.

"Do you know what the Water Tribes drink?" she asked.

"Sadly, I don't. You'll have to tell me tonight. I'll see you all then."

With that, the group went their separate ways, wending through the curving streets of Jukana in search of answers.

Jomei, feeling more at ease now that he was back underground, found his way to Jukana's small shipyard, where he would find his teacher's workplace. On the way, he saw a lot of little things that worried him. No matter how hard he looked, he still couldn't find Earth Kingdom colors save on the soldiers patrolling the streets, always in groups of two or more. People stopped talking when they passed by. And while the colors of people's clothes stayed the same on both sides of town, the people changed, going from almost completely Earth Kingdom, to almost all Water Tribesmen the moment he passed from west to east. No doubt about it, something was going on here. But one thing at a time. He'd found the shipyard he was looking for. Its sole graving dock was occupied at the moment, and workers were busily repairing a Water Tribe sailing ship with a vicious-looking breach in the hull.

"Hey," Jomei greeted the man who looked like the supervisor, standing and directing the work, "I'm looking for Aariak, they told me he'd be around here."

Understanding brightened the man's face.

"You've found him. Don't think you're from around here, so I'd guess you're walking the path. Am I right?"

Jomei nodded.

"Yeah, that's right." He took a closer look at the man.

Aariak was a short, stout man, just starting to acquire a gut and in possession of a few grey hairs, most of them in his beard. Despite the name, he lacked the darker complexion of a Water Tribesman, though he sported a warrior's wolf-tail haircut and wore work clothes of blue and white. He had a forthright, earnest look that Jomei immediately liked, as it reminded him of his fellow miners. His bare feet named him earthbender, but among the carpenter's tools on his belt was a long knife.

"I"m Jomei," the miner continued. "I wouldn't mind starting lessons as soon as you have time to spare. I can see you're busy." He nodded at the damaged ship.

Aariak waved off his concerns.

"Ah, nothing that can't wait an hour or two, I've already done the hardest work there."

"You mean that gap used to look worse? What happened?"

Aariak grinned.

"Ice-dodging trip. Well, more like jagged rock-dodging, but at any rate, the poor kids sure made a mess of it. They'll have to do it again as soon as we're finished fixing her up. If they hadn't had a waterbender on board to plug the leaks, they wouldn't have made it back with the boat, I can tell you that much. Ah, enough about work, though, let's see about teaching you a thing or two about earthbending. Hey, Amarok, you mind taking over for a while? Got a new student here that I need to give something to do!"

One of the workers looked up from his workbench and nodded, waving back.

Jomei's respect for Aariak rose by the minute and he found himself smiling as the shipwright led him off down the waterfront.

"So what's your trade, then?"

"I used to be a miner," Jomei murmured, feeling rather awkward. He hadn't really thought much of his life before the war came.

"Ha! I might have guessed, big fellow like you. Well, I'll bet you'd be interested to know how this town got down here. It all started with a colonial expedition from the Northern Water Tribe..."

Siensao found her teacher's home to be rather less than she had expected. The house in front of her was well built and in good repair, but quite small, crammed into the space between the house next to it and the wall of the cavern, off in a remote part of the town. She would have expected a Water Shaman to be treated better. She knocked on the door and waited for a response.

A moment later, the door flew open suddenly, revealing a short Water Tribe woman with look of restrained fury on her face.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "I haven't seen you around here before! Master Siku isn't here for you to bother about every little thing! Whatever it is you want, tell it to me and I'll decide if it's worth his time."

"Why do you think I'm here just for him?" Siensao asked politely, raising an eyebrow. The woman gave her a contemptuous look.

"Ha! Everyone is. Everyone comes here for him to solve their little problems. So, spit it out or go away! What do you want?"

"First of all, to know your name," Siensao replied. "And how you've come to know the master so well."

"I'm Eska and I'm Master Siku's apprentice," she said shortly. "I have been for the last ten years." But some of the frost was gone.

"Eska, I'm honored to meet you," Siensao lied smoothly, bowing low. "I'd heard you were exceptionally studious about protecting the master and I'm pleased to see that's true. However, I'm a traveler walking the Path to the Horizon and I do need to speak with him, if that's possible. If you'd prefer I come back another time, that's fine, but I just thought I'd ask."

Eska considered the merchant a long moment, then came to a decision.

"Wait here a moment," she said, then closed the door. Siensao waited, and before too long, Eska appeared again and stepped aside.

"Come in, then. He's hit a good patch this afternoon and I don't know how much longer he'll stay that way."

She led Sienaso into the tiny house and shut the door behind her.

Kyuzo, Zoukani trailing behind him, wandered about Jukana, taking in all the sights. It was an amazing place, and he was happy, at least for a little while, just to see it. He probably was the first man of the Fire Nation to visit here since…well, maybe ever. That was something. He heard the rushing sound of waterbending and paused, discovering his feet had taken him over to the waterbending practice grounds, where a large bowl was cut into the waterfront, with maybe a foot of water covering the bottom. Right now, it was deserted save for one person, a young girl.

She was, in a word, beautiful with her talent, throwing ice spikes, moving water through the air in dozens of twisting, fluid patterns, and making her mock battle a fascinating thing. Kyuzo leaned on the railing above the grounds and just watched for a while. He'd never seen waterbending in action before and so far, he liked it a lot. The girl was extremely talented for her age, she couldn't be more than fourteen summers, if that.

After she finished a particularly nice set, he started applauding, a huge grin on his face. Startled, she turned to face him. Kyuzo waved, having many questions he wanted to ask about waterbending, but she turned away and left the arena, ascending on a column of water and walking off on the opposite side. Kyuzo dropped his hand, puzzled. Turning to leave, he saw one of the people of Jukana had come up to him, a young boy.

"Hey, mister," he said solemnly, "You shouldn't watch her. She doesn't like that. She splashed us when we did it. My mom says she's one of the lost ones."

Kyuzo got down on one knee, lowering himself to the youngster's level.

"Oh, really? What's that mean? I'm new here, you see."

The boy hesitated.

"I don't think I'm supposed to say. I need to go before Mom finds out I'm gone. Sorry!" He ran off. Now Kyuzo was even more confused. He glanced to Zoukani.

"I don't suppose you know what's going on?" he asked. The guardsman's answer was a knowing smile.

The earthbending practice grounds were buried below Jukana. Aariak, still chatting amiably with Jomei about their respective trades, led him to one of the smaller rooms, currently not in use. It was a strange place. Rather than the floor being flat, it was bent into all manner of ramps, curves, and hills, like some kind of miniature mountain range.

"What's all this?" Jomei asked. "Did somebody forget to bend it flat after they left?"

Aariak chuckled.

"No, no, this is how it normally looks. See, our style borrows a lot from the principles of waterbending. We're all about using the terrain to our advantage, or making it that way if it's lacking. We go from defense to offense by using an opponent's moves against them, then once we take the offensive, we overwhelm them. It's always better to defend and attack than just defend. Here, let me give you an example. Hit me, but be ready to block something."

Jomei shrugged. He kicked a boulder into the air and punched it towards Aariak. The older earthbender grabbed the chunk of stone out of the air, swung it around himself to build momentum, and flung it right back at Jomei, who, though startled, brought both arms up in front of himself and blocked, breaking the boulder into pieces. Lowering his arms, he saw Aariak standing there, grinning at him still. The miner felt the beginnings of a smile on his face too as he considered the possibilities.

"That's just the basics, of course. We teach fighting in the mountains, on the plains, the desert, wherever. It's all about different kinds of earth, different kinds of terrain, different ways of fighting. You've got to be flexible, and you've got to watch your how opponent fights and take advantage of it. That's what we teach here. I can give you a few exercises to do before I have to get back to the shipyard. Interested?

Jomei nodded. "Definitely."

Inside, Siku's house was much the same as it had looked from outside, cluttered, but well-kept for all that. A single room functioned as both living and dining room, with a small kitchen off to one side and a doorway that probably led to a bedroom. Through the window, which was open slightly, came the sound of running water. Siku was sitting in a chair, covered in blankets. The shaman was old, not so much as Tsangansar, but still with hair gone white and a kindly, careworn face. His watery blue eyes were wide open, and he regarded Siensao calmly.

"I must apologize for my apprentice," he said, bowing his head. "She worries about me too much and it drives her to turn away those who seek my help. What is it you need?"

"Master," Siensao said, bowing low, "I am a follower of the ancient ways, on the Path to the Horizon. I seek your wisdom."

Siku laughed weakly.

"Then you will not have much to learn from me, I fear. But I will teach you what I can, of course. I'd ask your name, but names just fly right out of my head these days. I hope you'll forgive me when I say that we should begin at once. I…I have a little trouble sometimes and I'd rather not encounter it during a lesson. Please, take a seat."

Siensao sat down in a chair across from him, while Eska took a seat just behind Siku, her expression still wary. She looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn't without breaking some rule.

"Before we begin with tales," he said, "I have a task for you tomorrow. Down at the shipyards, there's a man called Aariak. Tell him I sent you and he'll find work for you to do. Could you do that for me?"

"Of course," Siensao said, having expected something of the sort. Tsangansar had made them do some work in exchange for her hospitality, it seemed the Water Tribe were no different.

Siku nodded.

"Good, good. Thank you. Now then, I will tell you of our people." He cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, it was with the ease of something told many times, but still not completely understood, even to him. "They say that in the beginning, when our world and the Spirit World were one, the Moon and the Ocean…"

Kyuzo found himself growing increasingly frustrated with his failure to find out anything about that girl or any of the 'lost ones,' for that matter. Nobody was talking, especially not to an outsider like him. Even the Earth Kingdom soldiers wouldn't answer questions about that. But his time was up. Though he couldn't tell, people told him it was sunset outside, so he ambled back towards the place they'd agreed to meet.

It turned out that Jukana did have a tavern of sorts, a place where Xing's people came to drink and play cards, and the owner was not averse to foisting off his attempts at food on the unsuspecting. The group gathered around a table, and Siensao opened the conversation.

"So, what are you first impressions of Jukana?" she asked, all business.

"Except for Aariak, it reminds me of Teoro," Jomei said sourly, "And not in a good way. You'd think the Earth Kingdom was occupying the place, not operating out of it. Nobody wears green or brown, everyone's trying to be Water Tribe even if they're obviously not. Most of the Earth Kingdom folks live on the west side of town, even though nobody says it. This place is a keg of blasting jelly waiting for a spark."

"They have been ruined by war," Reki murmured.

"Well, nobody talks to me," Kyuzo said apologetically, "but I saw this girl practicing waterbending and-"

"Oh, bones of the earth," Jomei cursed, his head falling into his hand, "Don't tell me _that's_ all you can think of."

"Don't worry," Sienaso assured the miner, "He knows to be careful. I made sure to emphasize that."

"No, no, it's not like that," Kyuzo protested, "I didn't even talk to her! I just saw her waterbending and gave a round of applause. She just looked at me and then walked off without saying anything. Then some kid tells me she's one of the lost ones, whatever that means, and runs off before I can ask him anything, and everybody else just clams up whenever I ask about it."

"I'm pretty sure that's more because of you than what you're asking about," Jomei said.

"No," Reki said, "He is right. I have heard things here. The people are afraid. They are being closely watched. There are whispers in dark corners. Have you seen anyone of fighting age that does not act like a warrior? I looked at the warriors' training area today. They had boys and girls there who cannot have seen eight rains."

Jomei's face darkened.

"You've got to be some kind of sick bastard to make kids kill people," he growled. "I don't know if I could do it. If things are that bad, I'm glad we're here. These guys need all the help they can get if it's come to handing eight-year olds a spear."

"Please don't kill General Xing, Jomei," Siensao said in a low voice, "And I'd keep your voice down when speaking about things like that."

The miner nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just...that kind of stuff gets me. Nobody should have to do or see that. Damn! There's a few Fire Nation asses to be kicked, that's for sure. You've got to get me in on that."

"I'll see about mentioning the matter tonight, Siensao promised. "Anything else we should know about? From anyone?"

"Nah, Aariak's a good sort," Jomei said. "He knows what he's doing."

"I can't think of anything," Kyuzo said, shaking his head.

"No," Reki stated flatly.

Zoukani, as always, remained silent.

"Good," Siensao said. "We'll meet again tomorrow, then."

"Before then, actually," Jomei said, "I've been thinking. Supposing you do get your club fighting, maybe it'd be worth something to join up. Do you mind telling me a bit about it? How it got started, the kind of stuff it normally does, those kind of things?"

"We can always use willing minds," Siensao said with a smile. "I at least would welcome your admittance. I can tell you a little. Not, of course, in such a public place. But remind me later, please." She turned to Kyuzo. "If you're interested in fighting, Kyuzo, I can provide training for that."

The firebender's smile was strained.

"Uh, sure, maybe. I just…well, I don't know if I'll be fighting like you want me to just yet."

"Well, the offer remains open," she said, waving dismissively. "Just don't wait too long."

"I won't," he murmured.

"In that case, I must be off," Siensao said. "I shouldn't keep the general waiting too long." She stood up, tossing a few coins on the table to pay for the meal. "Watch yourselves."

"I will expect you at the regular time tomorrow for our lesson," Reki said.

"But of course, master," the merchant said, bowing politely. Then she was gone.

General Xing made his headquarters in a large network of rooms dug out of the rock behind Jukana. Siensao was stopped, questioned, and searched, multiple times. When she finally arrived at her destination, she walked into a small, mostly bare room. A stone table and a couple chairs on either side was the extent of the furniture, and of course, the ubiquitous glowcrystals turned everything green. Siensao calmly sat down, observing the infamous general.

Xing was a tiny man, smaller even than Reki, and over a head below the merchant's own height. But the corded muscle packed onto his frame more than made up for that. He wore a full beard, bushy and unruly, and his uniform, like those of his subordinates, showed signs of hard use. A jitte, the sword-catching rod of the law-keeper, was thrust into his belt. Probably his most noticeable feature was the intricate iron hand on the end of his right wrist, which he idly tapped on the table with. He didn't look that old, but his eyes were ancient and dark, like looking into a bottomless pit.

"General," Siensao said, bowing formally.

"Ma'am," Xing answered, inclining his head slightly. He knew exactly how powerful he was and felt no need to show a politeness he didn't feel. "Lieutenant Colonel Bao Quan tells me you were instrumental in helping organize and coordinate the defense of Arvaikhir. For that, you have my thanks."

"I only did what had to be done, sir," Siensao said.

"Of course. However, now that you're here in Jukana, along with your friends, I must make certain of your loyalty. It would be no hard task for the Fire Nation to slip a few spies into that fort before the end and the secret of Jukana must be guarded. So…what can you do that will convince me you are who you say you are?"

He didn't threaten. He didn't need to. If Siensao answered poorly, she and the rest of the group would be washed up somewhere on the north coast the following morning.

"I'm an initiate of the Order of the White Lotus," she said matter-of-factly, "and my friends share my cause. I lead the Closed Fist and am on the Path to the Horizon to force a confrontation and bring the Order into the war. Can I count on your assistance, general?"

Xing showed the hint of a smile for the first time. Evidently, he appreciated brutal honesty.

"So you're the one that's gotten those people all upset. I approve of your goals, but my assistance comes with a price. Not too far from here, there's a sizable Water Tribe village said to worship evil spirits. None of the Jukana elders are willing to go there to enlist their support and I'd rather not risk my own people if the rumors are true. Go there, convince them to join the fight, and bring back a delegation to finalize things. You're not authorized to agree to anything, just find out what it will take to make this happen. Once you've made contact, one of my people will sit in on the discussions." He simply stopped there. He wasn't making a proposal, he was dictating terms, the terms of their continued existence and residence in Jukana.

Siensao gave a brilliant smile.

"I'll set off tomorrow, sir," she said, bowing her head. "You may depend on my successful return within the week."

Xing's answering smile did not touch those ancient eyes.

"I look forward to it. Good luck."

"Before I go, though, I have something you ought to know about one of my friends. Before I say anything, though, I want your word that he won't be harmed."

"And what are you offering in exchange?"

"Information, of course. In Arvaikhir, I had one of my people raid the Fire Nation camp. He found some papers that will no doubt interest you. If my friend remains alive when I come back, you'll get them."

"And I'm to take your word that you have them and they're valuable?"

Siensao took a single page from an inner pocket and laid it on the table.

"Please, feel free to have it scrutinized. It's authentic. Do we have a deal?"

Xing nodded.

"Pending my people's approval, yes. You have my word that your friend will not be harmed, whatever his crime, unless he acts against Jukana. Now, then…" His eyes narrowed. "What is it that I should know?"

As the evening wore on, Jomei found himself sitting next to Reki, up at the top of the town, where one of the river's channels poured out of the rock. The stone was wet with the constant mist, and gleamed green, for the glowcrystals on the ceiling were very close here. No one could get close enough to hear them without being seen. Reki again gazed into the wells of memory, and Jomei listened carefully.

"Women warriors are seldom seen among the Si Wong tribes," she said. "I am very much the exception. It was not easy to convince the swordmaster to teach me. It was my brother who was the turning point."

_Twelve year old Reki planted her hands on her hips and gave the aging swordmaster her most intense glare. He crossed his arms and paid it no mind. He had quite a glare himself._

_ "Point those eyes back down where they belong this instant! Your parents will hear of this, so if you want any mercy at all from them, you'll do as I say!"_

_ "Give me a practice sword and say that!" Reki challenged him. "If you want me beaten for insolence, do it yourself, if you can!"_

_ "I don't need to give you a sword to do that!" he snapped back, raising the wooden blade in his hand. "Now go away!"_

_ Reki was almost in tears, shaking with frustrated rage. She knew she could impress him! She could beat her brother two times out of three and he was ahead of many of the students! She just needed a sword!_

_ A wooden practice sword landed at her feet and she looked over to see her brother standing there with a smile on his face._

_ "Surely, master," he said, "You're not afraid to fight her? She has made it clear she is willing to be beaten if it means learning how to fight. Isn't this the price any warrior pays for their skill?"_

_ Reki had never loved him more than in that moment. She snatched up the sword and whipped it through the air in one of the techniques her brother had taught her, a strike called _Scorn of Shenshai's Gaze_. The name of the move was calculated to push things even further, and the swordmaster's eyes narrowed._

_ "Someone has been teaching you things they shouldn't," he murmured. "Who has dared to give the Five Sword Dances to this child?"_

_ No one answered, and he raised his own sword._

_ "Very well, child. So be it. If it is a beating you want, you will have it."_

_ Reki assumed a stance of the fifth sword dance, one of the most dangerous, meant only when the warrior knew they would lose and sought only to kill their enemy before they died. If you were fast enough, both swords would connect at once. The swordmaster recognized it, of course, and looked intrigued._

_ "You are smart, child, I will say that," he said grudgingly. "But you are not fast enough to kill me that way. Find another."_

_ "There is none better," Reki answered, approaching slowly. "Unless you know of one?"_

_ "And you have confidence in your own judgment," he said. "Very well, then."_

_ His sword flashed out like lightning, only an instant before Reki swung as fast and as hard as she could. The wooden blade hit her squarely above her heart, knocking her over backwards, while her own sword missed by an inch. She looked up to see the swordmaster standing over her._

_ "I think," he said slowly, "I had better begin teaching you before someone else does. That kind of talent must belong to the Hami tribe. You may join the other students tomorrow, at the lowest rank."_

_ Reki got to her feet and bowed respectfully, failing to conceal her glee._

_ "Thank you, master!"_

Jomei was grinning, but Reki only looked morose at the recollection.

"I've got to say, it sounds like you, all right. You know, we do the same thing in the Earth Kingdom. We let women earthbenders fight, but not non-benders. Seems like we're missing out big time."

"Not so much," Reki said. "In war, women always suffer the most. It does not inspire many to fight, save those already ruined, those who do not care, or those with great talent. As I told you, I am the exception."

"You are exceptional," Jomei agreed. He wanted to reach over and put a hand on her shoulder, but couldn't work up the courage. Also, she might just take his hand off at the wrist, like she'd threatened to do back in Teoro. "Uh, you know," he began, searching for the right words and knowing he wouldn't find them, "I…uh…I've been thinking. If you're, ah…really serious about…dying or whatever it is you think will happen…well, I know you're serious, but…well...in that case, there's something I really ought to say…"

His faltering speech stopped dead when Reki turned to look at him.

"Out of respect for all that you have done, I will warn you this once: If you value what little friendship exists between us, you will not mention such things again. Ever."

"But-" Jomei tried to say.

"What did I just say?"

Jomei shut his mouth, looking very forlorn, and watched Reki get up and walk away. _It's not fair. But then, it never was. Be at peace with the world, Aariak says. Ha! Easier said than done._


	21. Footprints in the Snows

A/N: With this chapter, another character who wasn't here in the last version of the story gets a little more screen time, and a few different matters progress. The Jukana Arc is shaping up to be a good one, and then we'll finally be in uncharted territory. Thanks as always to Sylvacoer's peerless beta work and thank you to everyone who reads the story. Enjoy the show.

* * *

"It looks like your estimate of how much time it would take was accurate," Xing remarked to Siensao lightly. The merchant again sat before him in the same barren room. "You've hardly been gone six days. What did you find?"

"Surely your observer has already told you what happened?" she answered, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd like to hear your opinion as well." Tap, tap, tap went the iron hand on the table.

Siensao had gotten used to loyalty tests a long time ago, and answered easily.

"We arrived at the village and met with the elders without incident. Actually, they were quite hospitable. It seems that they do worship evil spirits, but only to draw their attention away from the rest of the world. They willingly accept the suffering they undergo as a result. I believe they may have some connection with the Air Nomads in the distant past."

Xing nodded.

"Go on."

"They certainly had heard of you and the situation here in the mountains, but could not leave their shrines unattended. They are willing to send all of their warriors and waterbenders that they can to war, provided you send people to maintain the shrines at all times. I told them I would carry their terms to you and see what could be done."

Xing scoffed.

"A few useless mouths out of Jukana in exchange for more fighters? Done. I've already sent a messenger with word of my acceptance. However, I doubt the elders here will approve. The situation is already difficult. What do you recommend to stop a revolt?"

Like Tsangansar, he already had a plan he would stick to no matter what, he merely wanted to know how she thought. Also like Tsangansar, Siensao had guessed it. It bore a startling resemblance to her own ideas. _Intelligent minds,_ she thought, _think alike._

"Disobedience cannot be tolerated," she said calmly. "The main cause of the tension is the perception that the people of Jukana believe they still have a choice in their own destiny. End this farce of the council of elders and make your rule official."

"A dangerous choice," Xing noted, steepling his fingers. His eyes were lost in the shadows cast by the glowcrystal above them, hiding his thoughts from her. "It could cause the very thing I seek to avoid. What are your reasons?"

"A revolt would only be costly to the people of Jukana. Some of their people who fight with you might defect, but not anywhere near enough. Most of the forces in the city were yours to begin with. If I were in your position, I'd keep anyone of doubtful loyalty out fighting most of the time. I doubt a slaughter of the 'useless mouths' you referred to just now could jeapardize you or your cause greatly. Besides, the alternative is to lose the reinforcements I just gave you. But I'm sure you, general, must have a better plan than a mere merchant."

Xing hid a smile behind his hands.

"Your pet firebender has been useful in teaching our younger recruits. I have something a little different in mind for him now."

Siensao's eyes widened slightly. _Oh, so that's how it's going to be. I just hope he's a good actor._

"You think they'll buy it?" she asked. "The timing _is_ rather convenient, and I doubt they'd put it past you."

"Everything they might use to argue against me is based on the idea that Jukana is hidden. They might suspect, they might even believe, but they'll never risk the town on the chance that they might be wrong. Water changes, but Earth endures. They'd never survive without me. It's time they knew that. I take it you approve of my plan?"

Siensao bowed her head.

"Of course, sir. I only ask to be a part of your future plans for this province, as they advance my own."

"What do you mean?"

"Your goal is to drive the Fire Nation out of this province. Mine is to win the war. The two complement one another very well, don't you agree."

Xing lowered his hands. He wasn't smiling anymore. Tap, tap, tap, went the iron hand.

"It was well said that some of the most beautiful flowers are found in the depths of winter," he said.

Siensao spread her hands modestly.

"I didn't know my fame had spread so far."

"Even here, I have heard of the Zhang Ai family and their most capable daughter. I hoped we might meet one day, and you have not disappointed. I believe we understand each other. If you truly wish to help me, you may speak with my spymaster. He will give you work to do." _And dozens more loyalty tests hidden in it,_ she thought, but did not say. _No matter. I'll pass them all. And then the war in the north will become something new and terrifying._

"However, before you go, I have something to say. The documents you provided were indeed helpful, so I will share a report I received yesterday. This information is not to be repeated to anyone."

"You may rely on my discretion, general."

"Very well. Omashu has fallen."

With those three simple words, Siensao's intricate plans crumbled around her. Dongzhou was either in hiding or dead, and in the middle of winter, she'd count on the latter. Hundreds of White Lotus initiates were at risk or dead already. Irreplaceable archives and records were consigned to the flames. The political and strategic situation of the entire war had been shifted so far she hardly knew where the repercussions stopped and just thinking about it was hurting her head. Her head fell forward into her hands as she fought to keep herself under control. _I'm stronger than this. I can survive. I can! I will! This…means…nothing! I can…I can work around this!_

"How?" she heard herself ask in a quiet, despairing voice.

"King Bumi surrendered," Xing said. "No other details are available."

And with those three words more, everything took on a new meaning. Only a White Lotus initiate or someone who knew the mad king well would know how he operated. She had no idea what was going on in his head, but whatever he was planning, it was ambitious beyond anything she'd ever heard of before. He'd sacrificed his own city for…something she couldn't see. She needed to think. But all was not lost. Bumi was among the senior masters she hoped to meet, he would have made sure the Order and the archives were protected before he surrendered. She hoped, anyway. Everything became possible again, at least. Xing noticed her sudden relief.

"Don't get your hopes up," he said. "You know Bumi's schemes have failed before."

"I'm not," she defended herself firmly, "but so long as surrendering the city was his idea, my important plans can still succeed. I'll work around this, I promise."

"And my promise of assistance still stands," Xing assured her. "But I thought you should know about this. It changes everything and it makes my own next move more important than ever."

He got to his feet.

"We're done for now. I'll let you know when I need you again."

Before Siensao reported to Xing's spymaster, she went looking for her friends. Not only to find out what had happened, but because Alaghai's advice about showing a few virtues had, rather unexpectedly, taken hold enough to make it a guilty habit. Also because she was seriously behind on work for Siku, which she needed to do if she wanted to learn something besides folk tales, no matter how interesting. She found Jomei first.

Jomei brought his hammer down, and a wave of rolling earth thundered towards his opponent. Even as it came at him, Aariak caught and turned the earth, Jomei's energy turning in on itself and compacting the earth into a mass that swelled in the blink of an eye, before he released it in the sweeping counterattack. The miner shattered the boulder with a rising strike from his hammer, then stomped down hard in a low kick. The dirt under Aariak became incredibly loose and sandy. The boatbuilder sank to his knees, but before Jomei could harden the ground again, Aariak flung his hands upwards and the sandy dirt erupted in a dust storm, blinding Jomei.

The miner catapulted himself forwards and up, out of the cloud. As he came down, he twisted around in the air and landed with a loud thump, making the ground shudder as he skidded back, his feet carving twin furrows as he sunk up to his waist. Aariak had guessed what he'd do and softened the ground. The shipbuilder rode out of the dust cloud on a slab of stone. Jumping off, he sent it spinning towards Jomei, still trapped in the ground. The miner brought his hammer down again, just before the slab hit, flipping it up and over him, half shattered. But he'd never get out of this now.

"Enough!" he yelled, dropping the weapon and raising his hands. "You win!"

He might have never given up before. But since his time with the Tumen, he'd learned something of the difference between determination and stupidity. He couldn't learn more if he let Aariak beat him into a pulp every match. Aariak lowered his hands and let Jomei dig himself out.

As the last of the dust drifted away, Jomei stood up, bent most of the dust off himself in a minor explosion of dirt, and returned his hammer to its place on his back. Aariak walked up to him, grinning.

"You're a fast learner, Jomei," the boatbuilder remarked, clapping him on the shoulder. "Your work with the different kinds of earth is excellent, though you need more practice on controlling another bender's earth and reflecting attacks. I'd say you're good enough to try a few advanced forms with dirt next time. But it'll be sand tomorrow, we're running out of dirt and need time for the students to haul in more. That's all for today."

"Right," Jomei said with a nod. He was especially looking forward to working with sand. He might get an early start on sandbending. That was a laugh. Sandbending in the far north. He turned to leave the bending arena to find Siensao leaning against the doorway, waiting for him "Hey, you made it back alive," he greeted her. "Good to see you! So, what's the word?"

"Our reputation with Xing has just improved," she answered, falling in alongside him as he headed down the hallway. "I can't help but notice you have your hammer back, by the way."

"Yeah," Jomei said, patting the weapon's haft, "in fact, I do."

"So, is Hanhei's spirit gone, then?"

"Well…" Jomei's face turned glum, "not exactly."

_Jomei, occasionally trading glares with Eska, sat across from Shaman Siku as he ruminated on the problem Jomei had explained to him. This was the second time he had done so and he sincerely hoped the old man wouldn't forget what he was thinking about again. The first time, he'd even forgotten what Jomei was doing here. He'd remembered as soon as he had another good spell, of course, but that didn't do the miner any good. This time, thankfully, Siku's train of thought safely pulled into the station and he nodded decisively._

_ "I can help you," he said quietly, looking solemn, "but only partially. Understand, you are of the earth, as I and Eska are of the water. I can call upon the spirits of water to bind Hanhei's power and seal him within the hammer so that he cannot affect anything, including you. However, I cannot banish him from the hammer without tearing apart the bindings between the two of you, and I fear that would mortally wound your own spirit. I must advice against melting it down. That would free Hanhei from his imprisonment, but he has been stuck there so long, he might be able to resist the call to the spirit world and try to take possession of anyone he can latch onto, and I will not expose the people of Jukana to something like that. Eska will see to retrieving your hammer and moving it here, without anyone touching it or allowing Hanhei to reach out. Then, I will perform the ritual. That is all I can do, and I apologize, for I know it isn't enough."_

_ Jomei raised a hand to stop the shaman's constant apologies._

_ "Don't worry," he said, "It'll do for now and that's the main thing. I really appreciate it. Uh…I don't mean to offend you, but…what happens if you have a bad spell when you're doing your thing?"_

_ "Eska has my complete confidence," Siku said, sounding defensive. "She can perform the ritual as well as I. But with any luck, I'll be fine. Meet us here at moonrise. Water's power is strongest at night."_

_ Jomei left with a lot of misgivings, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice. _One way or another, Grandad is going down.

"I'm guessing things went poorly?" Siensao said.

"Yeah," Jomei said. "You might say that."

_Jomei approached Siku's house warily, like he might approach a tunnel on the verge of collapse. He had no talent for spiritual matters and could hardly sense anything not of the mortal world. And he felt the shaman's home practically humming with gathering power, his blood stirring in answer to a half-heard call. _Bones of the earth…no…blood of the ocean, that's what water is_. He'd heard that curse a couple times among Aariak's workers and it had never seemed more appropriate and ominous. By the time he got up to the door, the hair on the back of his neck was prickling something fierce. His knock was without force. Eska opened the door and he swallowed hard._

_ She was dressed in full Water Tribe ceremonial costume, thick furs dyed such a deep blue they were almost black, trimmed in white. Intricate designs were woven into the borders, most of them animals of some kind, and mysterious fetishes dangled from the sleeves and collar. She wore face paint, bone white across most of her face, with black and grey stripes across her cheeks and forehead, meshing together to form more patterns he knew nothing about. And her blue eyes were as angry as ever._

_ "You're late," she said. "Hurry up and come in, Master Siku is still competent."_

_ Jomei walked in, almost involuntarily, and the door creaked shut behind him._

_ Inside, the house had been similarly transformed. The main room was clear of most furniture, but the fur rugs remained and the glowcrystals had been exchanged for oil lamps that gave off a smoky golden light. A thick block of ice, Jomei's hammer encased in its center, stood in the middle of the room, more animals and markings cut into it on all sides, and a circle of what smelled like more lamp oil surrounded it, filling a shallow trench of more ice. Jomei could feel that strange something working on his mind again, just like when he'd tossed the damn thing into the water. Whispers just beyond his hearing, promises of unspeakable punishment, curses he'd never heard before, raving that hurt to think about. The old man was still kicking._

_ "Jomei," Siku greeted him solemnly. The shaman too was dressed for the occasion, in furs like Eska's, but rather than face paint, he wore a tiger-seal mask that left only his eyes visible and held a bone spear, whose point looked like river flint. Strips of leather hung from it near the point, marked with symbols that looked awfully like old blood. "I need you to stand right there on top of that pelt." The pelt in question was an arctic rabbit-fox. "So long as you remain there, the rabbit-fox will hide you from angry spirits. Whatever happens, no matter what goes wrong, do not move from that spot if you wish to live, I beg you. I have seen what happens when people leave that protection."_

_ Jomei nodded, wondering what he had gotten himself into this time._

_ "Yeah," he murmured, "don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."_

_ He stepped onto the pelt and waited. Eska moved around behind him, a steady presence at his shoulder. He resisted the urge to look back at her._

_ Siku straightened up, standing at his full height for the first time since Jomei had seen him, and raised his frail arms high. When he spoke, his voice was high and wavering, an invocation that echoed more than it should._

_ "Tiger-Seal! Stalwart hunter, swimmer through mighty waves! Spirit of my father's clan and mine, hear and aid me! Lend me your power!"_

_ Jomei felt a presence within the room and it wasn't his grandfather. A salty breeze ruffled his clothes as it grew colder and he heard a distant roar. There was a faint, fey light on the eyes of the masks on the walls. All the markings, on the block, on Siku's clothes, were very faintly glowing a clear blue-white. Something soft brushed his ankle, like arctic rabbit-fox fur, but when he looked down, he saw nothing._

_ Siku strode around the block of ice, bone spear thumping on the rugs._

_ "Spirits of Snow and Ice, spirits of Frost and Cold! All you who dwell within the winter storms and endless ice! All you who howl in the long night of the north and scour sea and land bare! I call you here for a purpose and by Tui's Light, obey me in this and you will strike a blow against hard stone and dry earth!"_

_ Jomei shivered, unable to tear his eyes away. Frost glittered on the furs and each breath misted in the air in front of him, yet the oil lamps had gotten brighter, driving away the shadows and defying the freezing wind that was still rising. Siku had become more animated, spindly fingers grasping and blue eyes filled with a pale light, looking at something only he could see. Something soft nudged Jomei's leg and he felt the nip of little teeth. The miner clenched his fists and did not look down._

_ Siku leveled the bone spear at the block of ice and the hammer inside._

_ "There, held fast, is a wayward ghost, a lost soul who knows not the path to your world and seeks to harm mortals under my protection! Always you have protected us, I ask you to do so again! Spirits of Winter! Let this spear be your wrath! Let it pierce his stony heart and bury him under ice and snow! Tiger-Seal! Lend our arms the strength to wield this weapon and keep this ghost, Hanhei of Teoro Village, bound within your caves! O spirits of my people who have endured this ghost's rage…I release you from your service and thank you with all my heart." Taking one of the oil lamps, he dashed the flaming oil onto the ring surrounding the ice block, igniting it. The ice began cracking and splitting apart, something large and green seeping out from the hammer. The markings everywhere shone with a brilliant light. The ring of fire surrounding the ice flared up as Siku raised the spear, preparing to strike, his wispy hair blowing wildly. The shadow of the rabbit-fox coiled as tight as it could about him._

_ Then, without warning, disaster struck._

_ The light in Siku's eyes faded. He looked around, confused and afraid._

_ "I…what's going on?"_

_ Eska moved like lightning, snatching the spear from his hand, but even as she did so, the ice shattered, and the green shape coalesced into something terrifying. It was his ancestor, looking as though he had just clawed his way out of an icy tomb, covered in snow and ice, with fingers coated in blackened blood, and eyes of the brightest green Jomei had ever seen, standing out amidst the blue and black. The shortened stubs of fingers curled about the hammer's haft and the steel scraped on the floor as it lifted free of the ground._

_ Eska brought the spear down in a two-handed overhead strike, piercing through Hanhei and hitting the hammer with the point in the same blow. Hanhei managed a few words, audible, though his voice was like the grinding of stone on stone._

"THIS ISN'T OVER!"

_ Then he broke apart, as if something had frozen him solid and then struck with a hammerblow, the pieces dissolving into snowflakes, which swirled down the spear shaft, vanishing into the hammer. Both spear and hammer glowed briefly, then the oil lamps blew out. Jomei simply stood for a while, trying to calm himself down. Oh, he was in so much trouble. I should have just kicked him out in Omashu…but at least I shouldn't have made that deal with him. In that moment, Jomei truly feared the spirits._

_ He managed to compose himself a little by the time Eska brought in a glowcrystal, lighting up the room. His hammer still lay where it had fallen, but the pieces of ice were gone. Siku stood more or less where he had been, still distracted._

_ "Ah, Eska!" he said, sounding very worried. "Please, what's going on? I think perhaps I fainted, or maybe a spirit clouded my mind. Did I finish the ritual? Shouldn't the Wolf Clan be here? Wait, no, that was…something else. What were we doing today?"_

_ "Don't worry, master," she said kindly, practically running over to him and letting him lean on her as she guided him back towards the bedroom. "Everyone is happy with your work. It all went perfectly."_

_ Siku nodded absently, letting out a sigh of relief._

_ "Oh, good, good. Don't let me forget about the initiation for the young hunters next week, we'll need time to prepare…"_

_ Jomei just stood, feeling very awkward and relieved. He wanted to go over and pick up his hammer, but decided against it for now. He did cautiously step off the rabbit-fox pelt, muttering a few words of thanks to the spirit. When Eska came back into the room, she was spitting fire._

_ "This is why you people make me sick!" she raged at him in a fierce whisper. "You come here and badger an old man practically on his deathbed to perform these rituals for you! You saw what happened! He forgot what he was doing right at the critical moment! If he does that in front of everyone and remembers it, he'll die of shame! I just pray he doesn't remember this. This is all your fault! Take your stupid hammer and get out! Now! Out!"_

_ "Why don't you just do these rituals?" Jomei snapped back, doing his best to keep his own voice low so Siku wouldn't hear them. "If you're so pissed about everything, let's see you do better! Or is that you can't and you know it, huh? If that's it, don't take it out on me! I'm not seeing you raising any objections!"_

_ Eska was not deterred in the slightest._

_ "That's because he won't let me, you idiot! I could have done that entire ritual without any help! But he's the elder and still my master and a man besides! Unless he says otherwise, everyone goes to him and he'll never turn anyone away, ever! He's so…stupid that way! Now get out of here! Don't come back!"_

_ Jomei picked up his hammer cautiously. He felt nothing, but saw the sigil of a tiger-seal on the steel head, done in what looked like black ink, but it didn't come off when he picked at it. He slung the weapon over his shoulder._

_ "Well if that's what you think, you ought to tell him that, not me. This problem isn't going to go away if you ignore it. Nothing does. If you can't do that, you've got no right to yell at me for wanting his help. Don't worry, I won't come back, most like."_

_ He turned and left the house as fast as he could. He didn't want to stay in this place a minute longer._

"So, yeah," Jomei said quietly, "the old guy's mind is going. Too bad, he sounds like a pretty nice guy, too. Just doesn't know when to quit. Hey, if you can…leave him out of whatever schemes you're thinking up, okay? He deserves to be left alone."

"I make no promises," Siensao said, "but if I can, I will. I've no wish to cause unnecessary harm. And I'm certain I can find a spiritualist in Ba Sing Se who can deal with Hanhei permanently, so you don't need to worry about that. By the way, have you seen Reki?"

Jomei chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. I'd go with you there, but I've got earthbending practice with Aariak, so I'll have to run."

Siensao found Reki practicing the sword at the warriors' training grounds. Many of the local trainees observed her with admiration. She remained, naturally, oblivious to their stares. After she finished the set she was working on, the merchant came forward.

"Siensao Zhang Ai," Reki said without turning around, and Siensao halted at once. "I trust you have been keeping up your training since we last met?"

"Of course," Siensao answered.

Reki turned around, lowering her sword.

"Good. Then you should have no objection to a lesson now. I think that you have advanced far enough to be introduced to the next dance of the five. You know the basics of the Whispering Wind. The next dance is that of the Crescent Moon. Watch and learn."

Raising her sword, she began another practice sequence. She moved slowly, so as to allow Siensao time to observe, and her movements had less raw speed than the Whispering Wind, relying more on flexibility, balance, and being able to change stances swiftly. As she moved, she spoke.

"The essence of the Crescent Moon is this: I am the rain, everywhere and overwhelming. All warriors have rules they follow and these rules make them vulnerable, even me. A warrior who learns the way their enemy fights can defeat them easily. Also, in battle, the wise warrior takes advantage of their surroundings. In the desert, I am most dangerous, just as you are in the great cities. But the wise warrior learns how to fight anywhere, against any style. To be everywhere is to know how to fight in any kind of land. To be overwhelming is to flow into the gaps in your enemy's style and use their own strengths against them. Do you understand?"

"Only on the surface," Siensao said, bowing. "But I am eager to learn the essence of what you say."

One corner of Reki's mouth curved upwards.

"You are learning. Now, show me one of your own style's practice forms. I do not believe you have ever told me its name. And I do not care whether you use staff or sword or bare hands."

"I was trained in the Three Mountains School," Siensao said, surprised, but hiding it well. "The three mountains represent the three methods of combat used; the staff, the sword, and the hands. Though I am still a student, I would be honored to demonstrate what I have learned."

She raised her staff. Even after all this time taking lessons from Reki, the staff was still her favorite weapon. Standing still a moment, she took a deep breath, then launched into the first and most basic form. The length of polished wood whirled through the air, guided by her practiced hands, jabbing and swinging, mixed with kicks, knees, and elbow strikes. Throughout the form, Reki stared at her rather intensely. When at last she finished and bowed once more, Reki nodded once.

"Your teacher chose well. It is a style for those who hide their strengths to draw out their enemy's weaknesses, then strike with power. Obviously, it is an Earth Kingdom style, focused on stability and endurance at all times, seeking to hem the enemy in with efficient techniques. And like all styles, it is flawed. You delay too long in taking the offensive, something it is conducive to. Also, you are not strong enough to use some of those blocks properly, and too many moves with the staff require wide open spaces, to name a few of them. In the dance, you will learn the flaws of the Five Sword Dances as well. The wise warrior never stops learning. Before we begin that, though…how do your lessons with Siku proceed?"

Siensao sighed.

"So far, he's just told me folk stories and put me to work at the shipyards. I really need to put in more time there to get on his good side so he'll start teaching me at all."

"Hm. Well, never mind, then. I was going to ask the same thing of you. During this dance, all warrior initiates are put to work. It is part of the lessons."

"That hard work builds character?" Siensao asked with a wry smile. "I learned that lesson before I let Ba Sing Se."

Reki frowned.

"No, and I will not tell you what the lesson is. That is for you to figure out. When you think you have done so, tell me what you believe you have learned, and I will tell you if you are correct."

Siensao stifled a groan. _Another puzzle. Not that I don't love puzzles, but I've got enough to do without them._

"Reki," she said hesitantly, "this is somewhat off-topic, but…once we get to Ba Sing Se, I could send word to your parents that you're still alive and not…well, you know, that person anymore, if you want." Immediately she regretted what she had said. _Oh, spirits, that was a stupid idea! It's no kindness, I'm sure, but how do I show kindness to Reki without being either weak or offensive? Kindness just doesn't fit her. I know that's why I'm trying to prove I can do it, but still! I'm an idiot sometimes._

"More of your kindness?" Reki murmured, with a smirk empty of all humor. "Do not waste your time. My parents have no doubt done their best to forget me. It is one of the things that happens when someone is exiled. Their family is never to mention their name again, even in private. For the thought, though, you have my thanks. Now, we have a lesson to get through. Let us focus on that."

* * *

Kyuzo sat, in deep thought, in a practice arena that most people in Jukana never got to see, nursing a few new bruises and scrapes and reading the scroll Jomei had lent him. He didn't know what the miner had been talking about, he was finding the philosophy sections to be very interesting, they were so different from the 'superior element' stuff he'd been taught in class. But right now, he was reading the section on waterbending. He didn't know what was going on with these 'lost ones,' but he was going to find out and maybe this would give him an opening. Zoukani was sitting next to him, sharpening his spear, still with that knowing little grin on his face.

_Waterbending is the art of change, to change defense into offense, to change the conditions and rules of the battlefield and the battle, and to change an opponent's strength into weakness. Just as water seeps into rocks, then shatters them as it turns to ice, a waterbender finds the cracks in any obstacle and breaks it down with the unending persistence of their element. Life cannot exist without water's consent, and a skilled waterbender is an extremely dangerous foe. We will begin, as in the previous chapters, by examining Water's nature in relation to Power, Control, Grace, and Speed, and then in relation to the other elements._

Kyuzo frowned. _That's it? Nothing about types of moves, strategies, anything technical? I can't start a conversation with this._ Disappointed, he skipped down to the section on Fire, figuring he might as well learn more about his own element while he was reading.

_Fire and Water are natural opposites, just as are Air and Earth, and thus, it is extremely difficult for benders of one element to understand and make use of the opposing element's strengths. However, it is possible._

_ The foremost problems encountered by firebenders are those of reacting and fluidity. Firebending forms are poorly suited for blocking or redirecting an enemy's energy and thus for reacting to an enemy's strikes. Not only that, but firebending attacks are direct, forceful, and above all, controlled. They do not contain any variety and their physical motions are swift and simple, for the most part. Firebending rewards constant, sustained offense and taking and holding the momentum of a fight. Waterbending forms, in contrast, rely on allowing the enemy to act, at least to some degree, to observe their technique and attack accordingly. Reacting to an enemy's strikes is at least as, if not more important than, one's own attacks. Moreover, waterbending attacks come in a variety of forms, not only in water's multiple states of being, but in various methods within those states, far more so than firebending. Waterbending rewards perception and adaptability._

_ A firebender, accustomed to attacking as fast and as powerfully as possible, will have a great deal of difficulty in allowing the enemy to do anything at all and in developing variety in their attacks and their defense. To understand and make use of the virtues of Water, a firebender must vastly improve their defense and develop new ways to attack the enemy. It is recommended that they begin by building endurance in firebending's defensive forms, and experiment with their element as to new ways of attacking. These methods need not be direct. For example, if a firebender faces their opponent near a body of water, a cloud of steam would render the combatant with greater skill at blind-fighting the victor. If they face their opponent in a wooded area, a forest fire would give the combatant with better control over their body temperature and their surroundings the advantage, and so on. It is also recommended that they explore different ways of using firebending than combat, these may lead to inspiration. In short, allow things to happen and observe closely._

"Hey, shark bait!" the instructor called out to him, "break time's over! Back in the ring!"

"Coming," Kyuzo shouted back, quickly rolling up the scroll and shoving it into his pack. Helping Xing's recruits learn was a painful process, it turned out, for both sides. Good thing they had plenty of healers. Getting up from the bench, he walked back into the arena.

It was a circular room, under a dome-shaped ceiling, with a few rows of seats up above, and a ring of water around a circle of stone, fed by two waterfalls on either side of the room. And his next opponent, to his surprise, delight, and fear, was that girl he'd seen practicing the other day. Now that he saw her up close, it was more worrying, that was for sure. She was idly twirling an ice spike above one hand, she had a wolf-tail like a boy, and her face was blank. It wasn't like Reki's usual scowl or bored frown, at least there was some emotion there. It wasn't like Siensao's calculating stare or Jomei's sullen displeasure. Her face was blank and her sky-blue eyes were far too old.

"Uh, hi," Kyuzo said, trying to sound cheerful. "I saw you practicing the other day. You're very talented for your age."

She shrugged.

"You learn fast when your friends are dying around you," she answered. There was a hint of pain there, but no heat. It was just matter-of-fact. Kyuzo winced.

"I didn't mean it like-"

"I know," she said, waving off his protest, "I know you didn't. Look, I don't blame you for wanting to talk, but there's nothing to talk about that you would understand. If you're really a soldier, you should know that."

"I was captured in my first battle," Kyuzo admitted. "I'm not cut out to be a soldier."

She shrugged.

"No one really is. Give it time. You'll learn or you'll die, just like anyone else. So, we going to fight, or what?"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure you're not a new recruit," Kyuzo murmured.

"I'm not. I asked to spar with you because you never know what a complete novice will do in a fight." She shrugged again. "You might have some new ideas or tricks I want to know about." She shook out her hands and assumed a waterbending stance. The water around her feet went completely still. "So, give me your best shot."

Kyuzo nodded, his grin back. _Let's see if this stuff from the scroll actually works._

"I can do that," he said, moving into a firebending stance. Wisps of smoke trailed from his fingertips. She tensed, going as still as the water. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he struck.

Kyuzo opened with a leg sweep that threw out an arc of fire at shin height. She raised her hands and a wall of water rushed up in front of her. Some of it flashed into steam, briefly obscuring her end of the arena. Kyuzo's instinct was to sprint forward and press the attack, but this time he held back and waited. As the steam cleared, he saw her turn the wall to ice, then it exploded out at him, unleashing a blizzard of razor-edged ice shards. He copied her, raising his hands upwards and calling up a wall of fire, as big as he could make it, then flung it forward through the storm. Puffs of steam marked where bits of ice connected.

But she'd already skated aside, sliding across a path of ice she was bending in front of her, and came in from the side, flinging ice spikes one after the other with terrifying precision. Fire knives sprouted from his hands and he managed to swat the first couple out of the air, but the third…it seemed to slow down as it approached. He saw it was going to hit him right in the thigh and he wasn't going to be fast enough. Then it turned to water just before it hit and all he got was a splash. She skated to a stop, lowering her hands, and the remaining ice spikes hovering around her dissolved into water.

"Again?" she asked.

Kyuzo nodded.

"Sure."

This time, she asked for the fountains to be shut off, limiting her to just the water already on the arena. But her stance was the same. Kyuzo, though, had an idea. She was a marksman, it seemed. But what if she couldn't see where to aim?

He started by gathering fire into a ball between his hands, compressing it until it was a white-hot pip of light. Then he closed his eyes and let it go. He heard a loud _crack!_ and saw the flash even through his eyelids. When he opened them, though, he saw three ice spikes hovering in front of him, in front of his head, heart, and stomach. Her eyes were still closed and her arm was outstretched. She lowered it and the spikes dissolved.

"Not many firebenders have that kind of control," she remarked, opening her eyes. "But you're not good enough to either do it one-handed or keep moving while you're doing it. Again?"

"Once more," Kyuzo agreed, enjoying himself more than ever. He hadn't really realized how much he'd missed not being able to practice his art. It was part of what he was.

For the third match, she asked for the arena to be drained and for a waterskin. That would be all she had. And this time, Kyuzo was determined to win.

He threw a fire blast, then sprinted forward as fast as he cold. If he could get to close range, no matter how good a shot she was, he'd have the advantage. She dodged aside from the hasty fire blast, drawing water from the skin and forming it into a shield of ice. Coming to a halt, he threw a two-handed fire blast. But even as ice boiled away under the steam of fire, she threw a single ice spike. Kyuzo got a splash of water in his face, and the fire died away. To his shock, he saw that he'd actually broken through the shield in the last second, and her forearm sported fresh burns.

"I'm sorry!" he said, but she drew out the last of the water from the skin and passed it over her arm. Even as he watched, it shone blue-white, and when it dripped away, the burns were gone. Kyuzo blinked.

"You can heal, too?"

She shrugged.

"A little. Enough to get by. I've no talent for it, really."

"Well, it's more than I'll ever be able to do. Actually, I've been trying to learn more about waterbending. Do you think you could give me a few lessons?"

"Not unless you're a waterbender," she said. "Thanks for the fight. I learned a couple things. Maybe we'll do it again sometime." She turned to leave.

"You're not even going to tell me your name?" Kyuzo asked, confused.

"I don't really think it matters. But my company calls me Spike."

Kyuzo was still thinking over the encounter as he made his way over to Siku's house. After managing to explain to that Eska woman that no, he didn't want any kind of spirit ritual performed or anything, he now had an appointment to ask about the history of the war as the Water Tribe saw it. He was so deep in thought that he nearly ran into Jomei going the other way.

"Watch it!" the earthbender snapped. Ever since he'd gotten that hammer back, he'd been a little moody.

"Sorry, sorry, just tried to talk to that waterbender again and, well, I made a mess of things," he murmured.

"Not surprising," Jomei grunted. A thought occurred to him and he paused a moment. "Hey, I've been thinking and…if you're okay with the danger involved…I'll spar a bit with you. I might as well get an early start on learning how to fight firebenders. After we're done here, we're heading back to the front lines and I don't want to be caught napping."

"Oh, uh…sure!" Kyuzo answered. "I'm sure I can find someplace out of the way to practice. Don't worry, they have plenty of healers here. Have you found out what these 'lost ones' are yet? I hate to bother you about it, but I'm getting nowhere on my own."

Jomei snorted.

"Figured that out my first day here. We had a few of the same kind of people in the mines back in Teoro after the Fire Nation invaded. This girl you keep trying to talk to, does she stare off into the distance a lot, doesn't really talk much, way too calm?"

"Yes, that's it exactly! So what's going on?"

"About what you'd expect to happen to someone who's seen and done too much, especially in this town," Jomei said grimly. "You'll feel better not knowing, believe me." _Sure feels odd to be the one telling someone else that. I feel like apologizing to Siensao for all the times I made a fuss._

"I believe you," Kyuzo said, "but…"

Jomei nodded.

"You have to know. Yeah, yeah. Here's a tip; thank her with all your heart for everything she's done. Ask how long she's been fighting. Ask about friends she might have had. You'll get your answers then, probably. If that doesn't work, though, I'll tell you what I know. But you ought to hear it from her first."

With that, the earthbender set off again, leaving Kyuzo to ponder his words.

Leaving Kyuzo behind, Jomei headed down to the warrior training grounds to find Reki. As he walked up, he spotted Siensao leaving, looking pretty worn-out, and chuckled a bit. Reki herself wasn't far behind, and he approached with a wave and a confidence he didn't feel.

"Hey," he said with a nod. "You mentioned about now would be a good time to hear more of your story. So, here I am."

"I did," Reki said. "And I will, as soon as we are away from prying eyes."

"Does the west waterfall still work?"

"It does."

They walked off together in silence. Jomei was never more grateful for Reki's inclination to avoid needless conversation. He didn't think he could have maintained his end.

_Reki's fourteenth birthday was a day of great sorrow. If she had been like the other girls of the tribe, she would have been introduced to potential suitors, and her father would have approved or denied the match based on his impression of them. But they'd received no offers, and it was a source of deep shame for both her parents. Were it not for her brother's single-handed struggle to keep the peace, their home would be a battleground. She was married to the sword. And when a warrior had seen fourteen rains, he was permitted to go on the next raid the tribe mounted, or if none was forthcoming, he was to demonstrate his bravery in some other way. To bloody one's sword in battle was the most honorable deed that he could do. _

_ In Reki's case, a Fire Nation company, falling back from the front, cut off and lost, had fled from vengeful Earth Kingdom forces through the outskirts of the Si Wong, invading the Hami tribe's lands. So she found herself clinging to a sand sailer, as the sun sank into the west, her heart pounding as she anticipated the battle to come. She was not disappointed. They hit the company an hour after dark._

_ It was a tough fight. The Fire Nation expected a raid and was waiting for them. Sandbenders went in first, softening up the enemy and trading blows with firebenders, then the ordinary warriors came in swinging, Reki among them. Like all first-time fighters, she'd been given a veteran partner. It just so happened to be her brother as well. In the dark sea of fire and blood that the desert became, she lost herself in the thrill of the fight. It was the most intoxicating thing she'd ever known. _

_ Her first opponent was a spearman. The fight was over in a few seconds, as most fights were. He tried a thrust. She dodged and closed in. He tried to hit her with the spear butt. She dodged again and stepped on the shaft. Then she ran her sword through him without hesitation. As he fell, the light in his eyes going out, and her sword pulled free, coated in red, Reki watched…and smiled. To be a warrior was just as glorious as she'd imagined. She knew no one was watching closely, and so she snuck a little lick off her blade. Her brother berated her later, but it was worth it. The two of them were an unstoppable team, and she lost count of the number of times they saved each other's lives that night. That made up for anything._

_ Afterwards, the warriors who had seen the kill praised her skill, if only slightly, and she knew she was on the right path._

Reki fell silent again and Jomei knew they had come to the end of this part of her tale. He was finding it harder than ever to connect the bloodthirsty young warrior to the grim, weary swordswoman beside him. He could see something of Reki in the stories she told, but it just wasn't there. He could never feel the same way about the Blood Drinker as he did about her.

"You weren't kidding when you said the desert was a tough place to live," he murmured. "With all that you know now…if you had a choice, would you still want to be from there?"

"Yes," Reki said at once, meeting his gaze. There was an infinite sadness there. "It is my home, and whatever its flaws, it is beautiful in its own way and it gives its people strength and the will to fight. It is worth it. And I believe you think the same about your home. Even if you hate where you grew up, it is what gives you your identity. It is what defines you. If you were not from there, you would be a different person. I could have been better than I was. It was my own fault, not that of the desert, that the Blood Drinker came into being."

She paused.

"I would change the marriage laws, though."

"Yeah," Jomei agreed with a little grin, "I can't imagine you as a housewife. You'd go through a lot of cutting boards, that's for sure." He gathered his courage. "Look. I…uh…about what I said last week. You're the one who said I shouldn't run away from my problems. And believe me, this is a problem. We really need to talk."

Reki sighed heavily, massaging her temples.

"About what? Jomei, I do not need this. I do not want this. This…this moon-eyed idiocy of yours cannot work."

Jomei winced. That _hurt_, deeper than anything the Fire Nation had done to him.

"If there's nothing on your side of this, I'm not about to force the issue. Tell me there's not and I'll never speak of this again, ever. I swear it on the bones of the earth."

"That…that does not matter!" Reki snapped, color rising in her cheeks. "It has nothing to do with anything! This still must end!"

"Why?" Jomei demanded. "If that's how you feel-"

"I told you, that does not matter! What anyone wants does not matter! What matters is what must be done, what matters is duty, honor, and sense enough to see when something is a bad idea!"

"That makes no damn sense!" Jomei shouted, standing up to his full height. "What people want always matters! It's what makes doing the right thing or the honorable thing mean something! Well, this time, this one time, I'm doing what I want, because I want this to mean something! So far, all we've really done is fight and run, fight and run. Well I'm not running from this, even though I'd rather face down the Fire Army alone than do it. Maybe it is a bad idea, maybe it's the worst idea in the world! Well, fuck it, I'm doing it anyway! Because it's worth it! Because…you're…worth it." What had begun as a shout trailed off into a murmur, and Reki stood up to face him.

"I live," she told him in a voice choked with emotion, "only because I fear what lies beyond death. I follow you and Siensao only because I promised to teach her the sword, because I know she can do what I cannot. There is nothing left for me, and that is what I deserve. I have accepted that. And if you cannot…that is not my problem. I am…sorry."

She turned and began slowly walking away, head hanging low.

"Reki," Jomei said, desperate and fumbling for something to say again. "Please, I-"

She whirled about and he fell silent. On her face was something he had never seen before…fear. A primal terror that would have made any ordinary person _run_, as fast as they could. She had gone deathly pale and her hands shook.

"Do. Not. Dare," she whispered. "Do not."

Jomei stood, paralyzed, while she turned again and walked away. He stood there for a while, staring after her. Then, something broke the spell, and his expression turned to rage and his hands curled into fists. He turned towards the cavern wall, raising both fists.

"DAMMIT!" The stone shuddered and cracked under the twin blows.

No matter what Reki said, one way or another, this had to be settled, and she might be willing to deny everything, but he couldn't. Not ever. It looked like he was in for a lot more pain.


	22. Thunder in the Mountains

A/N: Congrats to all the great athletes of the 2012 London Games, let's do it again in four years! But in story-related news, the Jukana Arc continues as our heroes continue their search for understanding. Thanks as always to Sylvacoer for beta work, and enjoy the show.

The council of elders and General Xing met at the rising of the moon to decide the fate of Jukana. The council chamber was a magnificent place, a masterpiece of flowing stone and running water. In a semi-circle, lining the room, stood the elders of Jukana, a wall of unyielding blue-white, like glacial ice. Behind them, opposite the door, water trickled down a mural depicting the moon, ocean, and mountain symbol that stood for Jukana.

Across the room, standing at a pool of water at the foot of the speaker's place, nearly encircled by the council, was General Xing and four battle-scarred veterans of the Earth Army, Bao Quan among them. The mural behind them showed Avatar Kuruk, humble before the world after the terrible day when his beloved was taken from him. The water channels were so cunningly carved as to make it appear that the Avatar was weeping at his loss.

"You called this council, General," one of the elders said, stepping forward. "What is it this time? What new tyrannies will you level upon us?" His voice, though quavery with age, echoed throughout the chamber, and one of the other elders came forward to answer him.

"Please, none of your blustering today. If you don't like what our protector has had to do to keep us safe, you can leave."

"You know full well that there's nowhere we can go!" the first elder snapped back. "The Northern Water Tribe refuses to acknowledge our plight, the Fire Nation rules the west and south, and the Earth Kingdom forces to the east are hard put to feed themselves. Besides, we don't have enough ships or supplies to take half the city hundreds of miles away!"

"Half the city?! Ha! You overestimate how many people have bought into your foolishness!" the second elder shot back. "If you really cared about Jukana, you wouldn't be plotting to steal away what strength she had left."

"When he took away everyone over thirteen that was not 'essential,' that was necessary?! When he turned our children into murderous monsters who we can no longer recognize, that was necessary?! When his latest attacks killed innocents and turned the people of this province against us, _was that necessary?!_"

"If the Fire Nation finds us, they will take everything, including our children! We must guard against that, and prepare them. At least this way they have a fighting chance!"

His opponent was already winding up for another speech when a third councilman, a bit younger, spoke up, sounding very tired.

"Please, both of you, be silent a moment. Put aside your argument a moment and at least see what it is the general has to say this time. You shame us by letting him stand before the council and yet be unable to speak."

At last, silence prevailed and the third elder gave a sigh of relief before nodding to Xing.

"General, if you would, what is it you have to say?"

Xing, having observed the argument with a certain amusement, returned the nod.

"At least we're making progress in the pre-meeting arguments," he noted. "That was under two minutes this time. But debating efficiency isn't what I came to talk about. By now I expect you're all aware of the reinforcements that have recently begun entering the city."

"Oh, is that what you're calling those accursed, diseased people that are showing up and claiming everything they're doing has _your_ approval!" the first elder said.

"If they can hold a spear, we shouldn't care if they have two heads each," his opponent responded.

"All right, all right, the new arrivals have been causing some concern among the people of Jukana and we'd certainly appreciate hearing your plans for them, general," the peacemaker said.

"I plan to incorporate them into my battalion, so you'll see no more of them than you do any one of my soldiers," Xing said. His iron hand tapped on the hilt of his jitte, the sound echoing as much as any voice. Tap, tap, tap. "However, in exchange for this village's generosity in sending these recruits, I've agreed to send over some of Jukana's people to take over as shrine attendants until further notice. My people have already drawn up a list of names for your consideration."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a uproar in the chamber, all of the elders speaking over each other, and all of them were furious, speaking at great volume about the calamity this was for Jukana and how they would never, ever agree to such a thing, or about how this was surely not as bad as it sounded, or about how they just needed to calm down and deal with this rationally. Xing waited a moment, then slammed an iron fist against a nearby pillar with a deafening _boom!_ That brought conversation to a halt, and in the lull, Xing resumed speaking.

"As I realized beforehand that you would not understand the importance of this, as you have failed to cooperate in your own defense, I have decided that the fate of Jukana can no longer be left in your hands. As the ranking Earth Kingdom governing official in this province, I regret that I see no other option than to declare martial law." Before the stupefied council could start talking again, he added, "As such, refusing to obey my orders in this will be considered treason, punishable by summary execution. Consider that before you speak."

The first elder who had spoken was the one who spoke now, pointing at the diminutive general, his finger shaking with fury.

"Have you forgotten, we gave you and your pitiful army shelter and food when you were fleeing through the mountains! We saved your miserable life, revealing the secret of Jukana to do so! We should have killed you then!"

"My 'pitiful' army, as you call it, is all that stands between you and annihilation," Xing said coldly. "And you know it. How great a comfort it must be to the Fire Nation that you are more willing to murder allies in cold blood than defend yourselves against them."

"Bah! More lies! You repaid our hospitality by months of ruination and now you lower yourself and us to consorting with the accursed! Everything was fine before you came along!"

"General," the second elder said, sounding worried, "I support you in all things, but surely martial law is going too far! The council handles everything not having to do with your policies well enough and the people still trust our judgment in most things. If you try and force the issue, there may be problems."

"Problems?! There will be rioting in the streets!" the first elder spat.

The peacemaker simply shrugged.

"Well, this is the first time I've been in agreement with the whole council for months now. It's impossible and untenable, general. You must know that."

"The council may handle some ordinary city matters adequately," Xing allowed, "but in all military concerns, including city security, which I warned you was not good enough when I arrived, you have done little but fail. In adapting the city to wartime measures, you have fought and bickered while morale and discipline decayed and defenses went unfortified. In short, your infighting is coming perilously close to undoing all my efforts. Fire Nation spies are searching for my base as we speak and with what I have planned in the coming months, their efforts will only intensify."

"We guard the secret of Jukana with our lives," the first elder said solemnly, calmer now for the first time since Xing entered. "We were perfectly safe before you arrived and we are still safe now. If you left us now, we would-"

"If I were gone," Xing interrupted him, "then the Fire Nation would find you and kill everyone. Jukana is not safe. You've allowed the enemy to infiltrate even this sacred shelter." The elders stared, taken off guard by the sudden change in conversation, but Xing did not give them time to regroup. "As a matter of fact, there's a Fire Nation spy in the hallway behind me, listening to this meeting."

That was Kyuzo's cue. As the council struggled to react, some of them gathering up water from the channels and pools, others freezing in place, the firebender put all the power he could summon into a two-handed fire blast that roared down the hallway, licking hungrily at the stone.

Xing, without even turning around, flung both his hands downwards. The entire ceiling of the hallway came down, smothering every last spark of the flames and slamming into the body at Kyuzo's feet. The firebender was instantly spattered with blood and goggled at the stone that had barely missed his nose. He turned and hightailed it down the hallway, making his escape, his heart beating ever faster.

Inside the council chamber, Xing straightened from his stance and went on as though he had only swatted a bothersome scorpion-bee, to the astonishment and awe of the elders.

"As I said," Xing went on as though nothing had happened, "Jukana is not safe without me. If you would rather choose death for everyone here because you object to the manner in which I provide that safety, go ahead and try. You'll soak this town in blood and people will die anyway and it won't change one damn thing. I'll still be here. I'll expect you to make a statement to the people to the effect that you approve of my alliance within the day. This meeting is adjourned."

He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving behind a conflicted, furious, and defeated council of elders. The only sound in the chamber was the footsteps of Xing and his soldiers, and his iron hand along the wall. Tap, tap, tap.

Siensao received the news that the council had agreed to ally with the so-called accursed village and that Xing's declaration of martial law was virtually unopposed given the rumor of Fire Nation spies circulating about with little surprise. _Everything is going according to plan._

Reki watched Zoukani approach, resigned and not drunk enough yet. The old soldier often tried to 'speak' with her, to trade stories of campaigns and raids and people they had known. He spoke fondly of the past where she did her best not to remember. Most times, she turned him away. But this time, as she sulked in the corner of what passed for a tavern in this miserable city and drinking something that she had no interest in knowing the contents of, she let him sit down and open up his sandbox.

_I've never seen Jomei drink to excess before, but he's doing his best at it across town,_ Zoukani wrote.

Reki let out a snort of dark amusement.

"His best? And what is that, two sips of wine instead of one?"

_Four cups so far and he wasn't slowing down when I left. He looks quite upset._

"So what, then, you come to me when someone is upset? I admit, a sword through the chest generally cures that, but I doubt your master would like that. Still, I am willing. He could use a good sword thrust or two."

_So he's upset about something you said, then._

Reki glared at him across the table. Most people would have flinched back, especially those who knew who she was. The old soldier merely grinned at her, his teeth white against his black beard.

"If he is moaning about me to everyone with ears to hear, I swear I will go over there and give you some company in silence," she grumbled, taking another drink.

_He is not using names, he only mentioned a woman. I know he doesn't mean Siensao, so I came here._

"Because Siensao and I are the only women in this entire city. Yes, this makes perfect sense," Reki said sarcastically.

_But he's upset about you._

"Because for some unimaginable reason, I told him the truth, as I have done the last thousand times he asked me a question. I had thought he knew me well enough by now to expect as much, but apparently I was wrong."

_The last thousand questions he asked weren't as important as this one._

"Yes, the mute hired killer, thief, and assassin serving the woman who prides herself on manipulating people is clearly the best source of advice on this mess," Reki replied. "Please, tell me how you are completely knowledgeable about such things. It should not take too long."

_I know more than you about love._

Reki's face turned dark and she looked down at her drink.

"So does nearly everyone else in the world. What makes you so special?"

_I'm here right now and willing to help. Though Kyuzo is in love. Maybe we should ask him to help._

Reki took a long drink to wash away that horrible thought.

"I will not ask that foolish child for help. Ever. He talks too much."

_And that's why I'm here instead of sending him._

Reki looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"You tell everything to Siensao."

_You don't think she knows already?_

"And just what sort of help are you offering?" she asked skeptically, conceding the point. "Unless you are paying for my next drink, I see none."

_He loves you, but the feeling isn't mutual, I gather._

"I hate that word," Reki growled, her free hand curling into a fist on the table. "Gods, I hate it. It ruins everything. He was the one honest friend I had in this world and he just throws it away because he cannot stand to admit he is wrong! Oh, love has much to answer for."

Zoukani's eyebrows went up, and his smile became surprisingly tender.

_Is it so hard to accept that it's okay to be happy once in a while?_

"It is time for you to go," Reki said harshly.

Zoukani stood up and packed away his sandbox. With a nod of farewell, he turned and left, leaving Reki alone with her bottle. She had thought she had gotten used to being lonely. It was all the more bitter now.

_Jomei dreamt. He was back at Hanhei's steel fortress between oblivion and what lay after death. Where last he had seen a dark jungle and a black river at his back, now all was winter. Snow fell softly upon a gloomy forest of firs and pines, and the river was frozen, no longer cutting away at the fortress walls. Rather than the utter void of oblivion, a massive glacier, stretching back beyond sight, waited patiently._

_ Jomei stood atop the central tower, looking at the solid block of ice in its center. A tiger-seal watched him approach, growling softly. He stopped and bowed awkwardly to the spirit that had done all this. Hanhei was trapped deep within the ice, frozen in a pose of snarling ferocity, hands clawing for something._

_ "You brought this on yourself, Grandad," he muttered. "I'll deal with destiny as it happens or I'll make my own."_

_ Then, an thought struck him. So far, every time he'd dealt with the spirits, admittedly mostly with Hanhei in particular, he'd been out of his depth, with little idea of what was going on and less about the nature of the forces involved. He certainly didn't want to start working with spiritual forces like Siku, but he did want to know more about them and how they worked with the mortal world. Maybe this spirit could help him. And if not, wherever they were going, someone had to know about spiritual matters. The next time he confronted Hanhei, the last time he ever intended to deal with the mad ghost, he wanted to know what he was getting into, what was going on. And with his history regarding the spirits, it couldn't hurt to know as much as he could._

_ He cautiously walked towards the tiger-seal, then stopped when it growled at him, baring sharp, fish-killing teeth. He got down on his hands and knees and bowed his head quickly._

_ "Uh, thank you for doing all of this," he said uncertainly. "But, I was wondering if I could, uh, maybe, talk to you?"_

_ Silence. He slowly looked up and saw the tiger-seal looking at him coldly, as though he'd said nothing at all. He sighed._

_ "You have no idea what I'm saying, do you?"_

_ The spirit let out an annoyed whuff and raised a flipper. As the wet fur brushed his head, the world exploded into a vision of surpassing clarity. He had become a tiger-seal, swimming through the water, looking for fish. His thoughts and mind had changed, no longer concerned with battles and vengeance and friends, only sensations and needs, the water sliding past, the smell of fish, the growling hunger in his belly. He came up for air, poking up his head through a hole in the ice above and sliding out of the water. No sooner had he done so than creatures of blue and white rose up from under the snow and threw long sticks. One of them hit him, piercing all the way through and he collapsed, yelping at the blinding pain. The world was slowing, coming to a stop. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the blue creatures walk up to him and raise a short claw, making some strange sounds. In the moment before it brought the claw down, he knew what they were…predators. And he, for the last time in his life, was the prey. He knew nothing of them beyond that._

_ Then the vision changed. Jomei was himself again, watching a much younger Siku bowing before the same tiger-seal that guarded Hanhei's icy prison. He was in ceremonial costume and had brought gifts to honor the spirit. He recited the ancient invocations from days before the Water Tribes existed, words of power that called upon the lineage of his people and the flowing water in his soul to bridge the gap, a bridge of thin thread but one that allowed the spirit to understand. Siku spoke once more and the spirit bowed its head._

_ At last, Jomei was himself again and the tiger-seal lowered its flipper. Jomei stood up and backed away, still bowing, knowing one thing very clearly. The spirit had no more interest in him than any man. Siku was, as he had said, of the Water, and a shaman besides. He, almost alone among many, could speak with it, ask favors, even command it if he exerted his true power. Jomei was of the Earth and knew nothing of the Spirit World or its ways. This guardian had nothing to say to him._

_ He knew then that he would have to wait until he found a spiritualist of the Earth to start learning. All the same, if he found a way of his own to repay the tiger-seal for what it was doing, he'd definitely do it, if he could._

Jomei stood in front of a small pile of sand, waiting impatiently for Aariak to get on with teaching. The shipbuilder had his own way about things, he came at them sideways, like a waterbender. For the last ten minutes, he'd talked about good sandbenders he'd met and their ways, which was interesting, but not real lessons in the way Jomei understood them. Finally, Aariak relented and settled down to teach the way that the miner was used to learning.

"Sand is probably the most difficult kind of earth to use if you didn't grow up near the sea or in the desert," Aariak said. "Mud is just heavier and more fluid, less lethal but more disabling. Dirt is usually at least a solid clump, all woven together by roots or stuck together through long association, kind of like some of my workers." He chuckled at his own joke and Jomei grinned as well. It seemed like he did that more often around Aariak. The older man had a way of making you feel welcome, like one of the gang.

"So, all the other kinds of earth are solid in one way or another," Aariak went on, "but sand, sand is lots of tiny bits of stone that just happen to be sitting on top of each other. It slides out of your hands if you try and pick it up, and it'll slide out of your bending, too, if you don't do it right. What you need to do is keep it just on the edge of being squeezed into stone. So long as it's pressed all together by your bending, it's just like cupping your hands. Not a lot of it slides away. It's all various degrees of pushing it together. A sand blast is powerful, but contained in a kind of tube aimed at your opponent. Try and lift that pile there."

Jomei concentrated, trying to shove the pile of sand into his mental grip. To his lack of surprise, it was a lot harder than Aariak made it sound. Sand kept pouring through gaps in his bending. Aariak laughed.

"You'll need to work on that for a day or two, everyone does. Here, let's work on something else while your mind works through what I just told you. Let's talk about reading people. Act like you're about to attack me."

Jomei raised his hammer over his shoulder, sliding his right foot back a little.

"Well, that's an easy one, earthbenders who use weapons are always easy to read," Aariak said, stroking his beard. "You're about to bring that hammer down and send an earth blast my way, then after that you're thinking of moving back and right to avoid the counterattack you know I'll do, maybe even trying to catch it like me. Put down the hammer and give me another one."

Jomei set down the weapon and took up another stance, fists held out at the waist, knees only bent slightly, facing sideways at the enemy. Aariak thought about it again.

"You're going to try and slide towards me, where you'll punch me in the face," he said, and Jomei blinked, surprised. He'd used a Tumen form, the basis of several different modes of attack, which ought not to have been so easy to read.

"Well, I have an advantage because I've fought you a few times before, but still, even if I knew nothing about you, you're putting less weight on your left foot because it's the one you'll slide forward when you execute the form. If you were doing the catapult form, you'd be standing on the balls of your feet, very lightly, and if you were doing the rolling thunder form, you'd be standing stronger to move a lot of earth or stone. And people usually look in the direction they intend to slide in, you're staring straight forward at me. If you're planning on doing that, what else could you be planning but a fistfight when you get there? You see? It's all about really looking at your opponent, the way they move, the way they stand, the way they hold themselves, where they're looking, everything a person does tells you something. The way that Amarok keeps looking down his nose at Song Sha tells me he'll be cross-eyed one day, also that he can be an arrogant ass sometimes."

It was Jomei's turn to chuckle.

"Well, I did see that," he said. "But I've been focusing more on my enemies' attacks. When I'm fighting, I just don't usually have the time to look at the details of how they move."

"Great! This is a perfect time to start, then. Here, now I'll get ready to attack, and you tell me what I'm about to do." Aariak stood completely still. Jomei was confused.

"I have no idea. You're not taking any stance or anything."

"Exactly. Just like you try and read the enemy, you try and hide what you're doing to do until the last possible moment. You must have noticed that I strike pretty fast when we start to fight."

"Yeah, I did. So, I take it I'm going to be target practice for a while."

"Ha! See, you're learning to read people already."

Jomei smirked.

"Looks like I am. Let's go, then."

Kyuzo faced down Spike once more, a smile on his face. If there was one thing he liked, it was a match where he didn't have to worry about winning or losing. He knew he was going to lose. But he also knew that he was going to get better because of it. Even Spike was getting into things. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't standing still as stone anymore. Now she was taking slow steps to the side, her arms moving fluidly through the air. Kyuzo circled with her, his own steps quick and strong, arms raised. He was taking the advice from the scroll and waiting for the right moment and the right spot to attack. _Steady….steady…there!_

He delivered two open-palm fire blasts, aiming at Spike's feet, to her left and right, leaving her nowhere to dodge. She endured the bursts of flame and showers of sparks without moving and as her hands flashed down, a fountain of water came at him. He dove aside, and, landing on his hands, swung both legs around, sending a huge wave of fire at her. Without waiting to see what happened, he used his momentum to go into a handstand, but with his legs spread wide apart, spinning around and trailing fire. More red-gold arcs rippled through the air in all directions.

Spike used a column of water to raise herself upwards, then leapt, descending towards where Kyuzo was spinning like a lethal top, into his blind spot. Sheaths of water roiled about her arms and legs, ready to strike. But he'd spotted her heading upwards and guessed where she was going. He rolled backwards onto his feet and produced a better version of the fire knife, more like twin fire swords. He hadn't been able to do that before and it made him very happy. At the thought, another surge of power flowed through his bending.

Spike used the water on her legs to break her fall and the water around her arms hardened into blades of ice with razor edges. The two of them clashed in the fast-paced chaos of a knife fight. They were both fighting as dirty as they could but Spike was running out of water and had to keep remaking her weapons, which kept Kyuzo alive and in the fight, mixing the knives with fire kicks and sweeps. But then Spike got tired of the game. Letting her knives melt back into water, she met his latest slashes head-on and completely snuffed all the fire around his hands, encasing them and his wrists in globes of water that trailed lines back to her hands. Shifting the watery ropes so she could hold them with one hand, Spike conjured an ice spike in the other and took aim.

"Dead," she said, and threw the spike.

Kyuzo was hit by another splash of water in the face and staggered, spluttering and coughing. But when he straightened up, he was grinning widely.

"Ha! How many to zero is that, now?"

"Forty-two," Spike answered, twirling her namesake weapon in one hand. "But you're getting better. You're more willing to try new things than most firebenders I've fought, and that fire knife form isn't one I've seen very often. Is it something they don't teach you?"

"Not usually, no. They taught it to me because my bending lacks power and knives don't take much."

"I've noticed," she said. "Firebending's powered by anger, rage, hate, and all that stuff, right? You're not an angry person."

Kyuzo shook his head. He was hardly surprised that she knew the basic precepts of firebending.

"Not usually, no," he admitted. "If you have any ideas, of course, I'd be glad to hear them."

Spike's empty blue eyes made him pause a moment.

"I'm not the right person to ask," she said. "But it seems like your bending has been getting stronger as we've kept on fighting, and you've just kept getting happier, as far as I can tell. Are you sure you're not angry? You don't have someone you hate that you're picturing in place of me? Nothing like that?"

Kyuzo shrugged sadly.

"I just can't see any point in hating something. What's it going to do for me besides make me a worse person? War will do enough of that without me helping it along."

"Yes," Spike said, nodding, looking somewhere far away, "it will."

Kyuzo hesitated, then plunged ahead.

"Look, I've learned a little about this place, and I just want to say…thank you, for everything you've done. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been fighting?"

"Two years, two months, five days," she answered without hesitation. "Since my thirteenth birthday, when Iron Hand's people recruited me."

"I guess that's enough time to lose a lot of people and see a lot of shit I never want to see. So, yeah, thank you. That's what I wanted to say."

Spike shook her head.

"Well, you're a real rarity here, I'll say that much. The general, all his people, all of us, we understand. Hardly anybody else does. We've lost people, all right. Too many friends, too much family."

It seemed as good an opportunity as any to try. "You must have stories," Kyuzo said, trying to keep an even keel between casual camaraderie and curiosity.

"Nah, you don't want to hear any stories. They wouldn't mean anything to you and they'd just keep you up at night."

"Please, I…I want to know what the Fire Nation has been doing. What…my nation has been doing."

"If you're smart enough to ask that question, you don't need to know the answer," Spike replied, closing her hand around the ice spike. "They're the same as us."

"The same as you?"

"We're the demons in the night," she said, her gaze growing distant again as she recited something she'd learned long ago. "We make everyone afraid to sleep at night. We make them afraid to walk the streets of their own cities and towns. We kill them, one by one, them and anyone who helps them, until the north is a sea of blood that will drown the Fire Nation. We will make them leave, no matter what, and to that end, we are all expendable."

Kyuzo was left at a loss for words. Spike's eyes focused again.

"That was what my instructor told us during our first day," she said. "I've never found a better way to say it."

"I really can't imagine what it's like to be a demon," Kyuzo murmured, finding his voice at last. "But it sounds like the worst thing in the world."

"We're called soldiers and warriors by people who know nothing of war," she said, fixing him with her gaze. "So you're at least a little demon yourself."

"I guess…" he said slowly. "But…I don't want to be. Since I can't fight to protect my people anymore, I need something else to fight for, something good, something worth dying for. For a while now, I've been talking with Siku and some other people about the history of the war, how it began. I thought maybe I'd find something there worth fighting for."

_"They say that in the year of the great comet, the Fire Nation destroyed the Air Nomads, down to the last woman and child," Siku intoned. "They say the Fire Nation did this to stop the rise of the new Avatar, though as recent events have made clear, they failed. After this, they say, the Fire Nation made war against the Earth Kingdom, seeking dominion over all its lands, to revenge all slights, real and imagined, on their ancient enemy across the sea. They say the Southern Water Tribe, foolish and willful, pledged their aid to the Earth Kingdom, and were then nearly destroyed by the Fire Nation's swift retribution. The northern tribe, wise and steadfast, knew that this was not their fight, they say, and so they remained apart, as they have to this day, and thus remained strong, despite some arrogant fools among the Fire Nation trying to raid our settlements, they say."_

_ He looked the firebender in the eyes._

_ "That's what they say. I say they were wrong, but it is not my story to tell." He said nothing more on that subject, but went on with the story._

_ In the end, Siku's version of the story was mostly hearsay and the same as Siensao's, though he put more blame on the people of the Fire Nation for following Sozin and his descendants into the long war. Nothing was revealed that changed everything. Nothing was said that inspired Kyuzo to rage against injustice. In the end, nothing might as well have been said._

Spike shook her head.

"If there are wars that are fought for good causes, things you can't see or touch, I've never heard of them. Wars are always fought for your home and your people. The Fire Nation fights because their people believe they're better than us and they deserve our land more than we do. We fight because we know they're wrong and this is our home. That's all. If you're going to fight the Fire Nation, you'll do it for those reasons, same as us. You know they're wrong and this is our home. Isn't that enough?"

"I know they're wrong," Kyuzo said, nodding, "and this is your home. But those aren't the main reasons that I fight. I just keep coming back to the reason I threw in with Siensao at all, the reason that I've been fighting for all this time when I thought maybe it wasn't enough. But it was and is, and honestly, I should've known it from the start."

"What are you fighting for, then?"

The firebender's smile made the arena just a little brighter.

"Love," he said simply. _I'll fight to protect Jura, and her home is in the Earth Kingdom, which means mine is too, now, since I can't go back to the Fire Nation. I fight for her, and so my family doesn't have to lose any more sons and daughters to this war, so my nation can be the place I know it can be. I fight for the people I love. There can be no higher cause. What happened in the past doesn't matter nearly as much as I thought. What's happening here, now, that matters._

Spike nodded slowly.

"I've known people like you. It'll hurt all the more as you go on fighting."

He shrugged sadly.

"Yeah, I know."

Siensao never wanted to look at another fish again. She was late to her meeting with Siku because she'd spent a goodly amount of time trying to scrub the smell off. Oh, he had found work for her all right. It seemed like ever since she'd returned, she'd done every kind of menial task there was in Jukana. Gutting fish, helping tan hides and furs, working down at the shipyard with tar and resin…oh yes, she had more than earned her keep. Dealing with so many people was overwhelming at the best of times, but thankfully, the Water Tribe men and women were very friendly and welcoming for the most part. That she was Earth Kingdom didn't matter so much to them like it did with the other townsfolk, she was Siku's student and the shaman's word commanded respect, most of the time.

She wasn't sure when her mental defenses went down. But as the days went by, she found herself simply not caring about getting information from those she spoke to. She was just too tired to file it all away, too tired from talking with Xing or his people then breaking her back working with everyone else, too tired to even think about collecting information or analyzing what she saw and heard. She just stopped caring about all that. Instead, she just asked because she was curious, because…well, she cared a little about the people themselves. All that would change once this was over of course, but it was a new experience, just being another hard worker with friends like a normal person. She almost was sorry that it would end. But it was also incredibly frustrating, because Siku just kept telling her stories of his people. Granted, she was learning most of what she needed to know, but she always had to work for it, to search through the threads of myth and memory to find the thoughts of the people that had crafted these stories. The results were more than a little patchwork and she worried they wouldn't hold up under any kind of formal examination.

Arriving at the shaman's house, she greeted Eska and went in to see Siku determined to make her point clear. He was hard at work doing scrimshaw, carving ivory and bone with mystic designs, but when he saw her, he put down his tools, his feeble smile almost painful to see.

"Welcome, welcome," he said, gesturing for her to sit down. "How did things go today?"

"Makatok is convinced that a rot spirit is at work on his boat, he's had to replace planks three times this week. He wants you to take a look at it when you get the chance," she replied, sitting down and suppressing a sigh of relief to be off her feet. "Eska is in demand for some favorable wind and weather rituals. And Hua Dai came over to commission a new fishing charm."

Siku's brow furled in confusion.

"Ah, that is all good to know, but I only wanted to know how your day was."

"Master, with respect," Siensao said, bowing, "but you don't seem to be taking my instruction seriously."

"Oh no, no!" the old shaman exclaimed, aghast. "I have done everything in my power to teach you that which you desire to know! My whole life, all I ever wanted was to help people. What makes you think that?"

"You have told me many stories," she said. "They are fascinating to hear and very precious to your people, I don't doubt that, but I came here to learn the wisdom of the Water Tribe, the way you see the world and your place in it. I had expected something a bit more…formal, I suppose. I fear that you will not deem me worthy of moving on when the time comes for me to go."

Siku drew himself up solemnly.

"I swear by the blood of the ocean and the light of the moon that I will do no such thing. I am not so petty as some teachers, to keep students long after they are worthy out of spite or greed. But I am teaching you as best I know how. I cannot say the lesson you are to learn, that is yours to discover. If on the chance that you do not realize it before you leave me, then I will tell you anyway. But until then…Wu Sha, was it?"

"No," Sienaso said with a sigh, " it was not."

Siku was growing worried.

"Ah, then it was...Kamok, the elder's niece?"

"No, it was not that either."

The shaman was grasping at straws, desperate to remember, but then he slumped over.

"I'm…I am sorry, child. I am no use to you just now. If you'll come back later, though, I'll do whatever I can to help. It's all I've ever wanted to do, you know."

"Yes, master," Siensao said, standing up to leave, "I know."

Jomei once again faced down a firebender. The enemy of everything good in the world. The wielders of an element as powerful and greedy as they were. And now…his sparring partner. Life was full of irony, he had come to understand. It wasn't an easy thing. He had to fight to keep himself from crushing the little man like a bug, from killing him in a hundred different ways, most of them slow and painful. His knuckles were white as he gripped his hammer and even the wisps of smoke off the other man's fingertips made him twitch. The remnants of his hangover from yesterday didn't help, certainly. But he was practicing Aariak's stuff, which meant waiting for the enemy to attack. Finally, he did.

Kyuzo attacked with a rapid series of fire blasts, stepping forward with each strike, advancing towards him. Jomei raised a sloped stone wall, deflecting one, two, three attacks, which burst in showers of red and gold, then he _slid,_ right through his own wall, which exploded in a shower of dust and rock, coming right up next to Kyuzo just as he was stepping forward for his next attack. Jomei's warhammer came around in a blow that would cave in the other man's chest. He stopped just before that happened, still tense, still wanting to kill the bastard, his whole village burning again in his mind. But he didn't do it. He wasn't sure if it made him a better person.

"Is that really the best you can do, Fire Nation?" he said, lowering his weapon. "You're not even worth my time if it is. You open with little wimpy sparks and try and get _closer_ to me? Not going to work. Maybe other benders can't handle a fight at spitting distance, but I can and you damn well ought to know that by now. Again!"

Kyuzo got a strange look on his face, like a boarcupine that you'd managed to piss off, rage and shame mingling. _He's right. This is all I can do for my new cause? Jura's people are in sorry hands with me, that's for sure. And that's not right! I've got to do better! I'll make this right! I will!_ He turned his anger inwards and stoked his inner fire, which readily responded, just like he'd been taught. The little smile on his face was a vicious one, and he kind of liked the feeling. This time he'd give Jomei a surprise. This time, things would go a little differently.

Kyuzo thrust one hand forward and unleashed a steady stream of fire, bigger and brighter than before, enough so that Jomei had to brace the wall he threw up against it. With his other hand, he gathered fire into a little pip like he had before, concentrating fiercely and sweating hard with the effort. When he closed his hand around the pip, he bit back a yelp as it started burning his fingers, and stopped the long fire blast. Jomei had been waiting for just that, and straightened up the wall, then swung his hammer at one end and sent the thick stone spinning towards him with lethal force.

Kyuzo dove aside and forward, rolling and coming up on one knee. Jomei raised his hammer to end the fight. Kyuzo closed his eyes and opened his hand, letting the pip go. It burst with such intensity that he heard a little pop, and Jomei cried out in pain, blinded. But even without sight, the earthbender could still deal death. He raised two walls, in front of and behind Kyuzo, and brought them rushing towards each other. Kyuzo threw everything he had at the wall in front of him, blackening stone, heating it until it glowed, but he couldn't get enough force in the second or two before it was right in front of him. Jomei had stopped an instant before death. Again. But when the miner lowered the walls, blinking furiously and wiping tears from his eyes, he sounded almost satisfied.

"Now that's at least a little like firebending. Looks like something's got you angry, because you finally put a little power into your punches. If it's me, I'm happy to give you more to be angry about."

"It's not," Kyuzo said, his smile still with an edge to it that Jomei didn't like one bit. "All this time, I've been looking for a purpose in life. I'm getting closer to finding one."

"And what is that, do you think?" Siensao asked. Kyuzo started and Jomei rolled his eyes.

"Hey," the miner said, as the two men turned around to see the merchant standing in the doorway to the practice room. "I see Iron Hand hasn't killed you yet. Good."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Already talking like a northern soldier, Jomei? An admirable thing to be, in its own way." Then she turned to Kyuzo. "So, Kyuzo? What do you think your purpose is?"

The firebender blushed, looking down.

"Well, you already know what it is, I don't know that I really need to say it, right?."

"You're far too modest," she said with a smile. "Besides, I'd rather hear it in your own words."

He chuckled ruefully.

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

"Well, you can't just drop hints like that and not finish talking," she said with a laugh. "Come on, tell us."

Jomei crossed his arms and pretended that he wasn't interested.

"Well," Kyuzo said slowly, "I think that my purpose is to protect the people…close to me. The only way to do that right now is to fight the Fire Nation. But aside from that…they just need to be stopped. All this suffering and death that the people fighting them already have gone through…it ought to mean something."

"I think that is a noble goal," Siensao said, bowing her head. "If you're really serious about it, I just came from a meeting with General Xing. He's asked me where we would be the most useful to him and I asked for time to consult you. We'll need to get Reki and Zoukani and talk it over, but before we do that, Kyuzo, I wanted to warn you; anything we do for him will probably involve killing your people or spying on them, and possibly some other nastiness. He's that kind of person. Can you honestly tell me that you could do things like that?"

"Can you honestly tell me that I have a choice if I want to keep on breathing the same air as him?" Kyuzo said with a sad smile. "I don't know what'll happen when the fighting starts, but I'll do my best. It's all I can ever do."

Jomei scoffed.

"If you're already making excuses before you've even tried something, you're just trying to fail. You can't go into a fight not wanting to kill the other guy and you can't go into a godsdamned war making excuses like that! It's a simple question she just asked you, do you want to fight the Fire Nation or not?!"

"Enough, Jomei," Siensao said sharply. "Not everyone has your resolve. But I agree that perhaps you aren't quite ready for big assignments. I'm sure there are some smaller things for you to, how shall I say this…cut your teeth on."

"What, you don't have a list of them ready to go?" Kyuzo asked, raising his eyebrows.

The merchant tapped her head.

"It's all in here. Let's see…I have a supply destruction raid on Arvaikhir, where the Fire Navy is setting up shop and a supply dump, I have an information retrieval mission on a messenger hawk aviary, I have a garrison killing raid on a small operation to the west that's been killing tiger-seals, whales, and other animals by the hundred and driving away all the fish, I have-"

"Uh, actually," Jomei said, interrupting. "That last one sounds good to me." Siensao raised an eyebrow, and he hurried to add, "Well, not only will we kill a lot of soldiers, we'll be cutting off their food supply and making sure Jukana can keep feeding itself. Good all around, far as I can see."

"Is that what you want, Kyuzo?" Siensao asked, glancing over at him.

The firebender shrugged helplessly.

"What I want hardly seems to matter, does it? I'll be killing people sooner or later. I might as well get started. I have a lot of work ahead of me and a lot of lost time to make up for."

"As you're surely aware, general," Siensao concluded, standing before the rest of the group, this time in one of Xing's better conference rooms, "taking out this operation will build some goodwill among the people of Jukana and the coastal fishing villages that feel threatened by the Fire Nation while hindering the Fire Navy's efforts to feed the thousands of troops and sailors they've brought here to the north. Every bit helps. A low-priority assignment, but some of my people could use the experience and it won't take long at all. We'll still be available for your higher-priority operations later this month."

Xing's iron hand was in motion again. Tap, tap, tap, as he thought the idea over.

"Looks to me like the only person who needs the blooding is your pet firebender and I won't send you all on a mission just to see if he's reliable. You're too useful to waste on something like that without a better reason, anyway. I have a dozen teams who could handle that assignment. Why should I send you?"

"Oh, it's worth it, general. How many firebenders do you have that you can send on missions at all? How many firebending spies or agents do you have with the army or in the towns and cities? No, don't answer, I know already. Not enough that you can afford to turn down even one more. And he'll only work with us. Am I right, Kyuzo?"

"Uh," Kyuzo got out before he was interrupted.

"Don't answer that," Xing snapped. "I value initiative in my forces, but you're going too far. If you won't obey orders now, will you obey them when they mean everything?"

"Did I ever say I would disobey?"

"You implied it, don't try that with me."

Reki and Jomei shared an exasperated glance before they caught themselves and looked away, standing awkwardly, and Zoukani hid a smile in his beard. Kyuzo was sweating, desperately uncomfortable.

"If you command us not to go on this assignment, so be it," Siensao said, bowing her head. "We will obey, and the firebender will continue to be unreliable. Just because I had the presumption to suggest an idea for his first mission isn't a good enough reason not to allow it and I think you know that."

Xing fell silent again. Tap, tap, tap. Then he nodded.

"I'll assign one of my people to you. You'll leave tonight and return within the week. Don't fuck this up, Zhang Ai."

"I prefer to give rather than receive, in that regard, sir," she said, bowing low, and the rest of the group followed suit, except Reki. "As the Fire Nation will soon discover. Thank you for your consideration. May I ask who you'll be sending with us, general?"

"The firebender and Jomei there both seem to have taken a liking to one of my waterbenders," Xing answered, something resembling a smile on his face. "Private Nerrivek, they tell me. I'll send her. Don't call her that, by the way, she answers to-"

"Spike," Siensao said, nodding. "I've heard as well. Please, give my thanks to her company and my promise that she'll return soon, if things go well. Oh, and one last thing. If I'm to be commanding this operation, I'll need some kind of rank, to make things look good on the report."

Xing nodded.

"I agree, your squad needs a commander. I've got a lieutenant's insignia here, as it happens. Here."

Siensao had started to hold out her hands, but the little badge flew right by and Jomei nearly fumbled the catch, he was so startled.

"Uh, me, sir?" he asked, eyes wide.

"You," Xing confirmed. "I know Siensao and Reki can command. If this mission is for breaking in new blood, it's a perfect test for a new officer. And as your first command decision, I also have a sergeant's badge for your squad's new second-in-command. Who's it going to be, Lieutenant?"

Jomei stood, nearly struck dumb from the sudden pressure. Xing was not going to be a patient person when it came to getting his answer and he didn't want to disappoint the general, Reki, or Siensao, but he had to choose one or the other, unless he wanted Kyuzo or Zoukani. Seeing both women looking at him with intense interest, he just blurted out the first name that came to mind.

"Reki, sir!" He knew nothing of Siensao's command experience other than at Arvaikhir and maybe the fight with the Green Dragons, she hadn't told him anything about it, so he went with someone he knew beyond a doubt had fought in many battles and won.

Siensao hid her disappointment well, but she had expected that name. Like all of life's obstacles, this one was not insurmountable and she knew Jomei would listen to her advice no matter if she was in command or not. Kyuzo wasn't bothering to hide his amazement over how things were going and Zoukani looked oddly pleased.

"Very well," Xing said, and tossed the little badge over to Reki, who snatched it out of the air with one hand. To Jomei's surprise, she gave him a look of such loathing that he almost took back his words and asked for Siensao instead. But she pinned the insignia on her collar anyway.

"Lieutenant Jomei," Xing said, getting his attention back quite effectively, "If you succeed in this, you will be permitted to take the oath and become one of the Iron Hands, as will any of your squad who wish to join the fight against the Fire Nation on our terms. Are you and your men ready?"

Jomei saluted as sharply as he could manage.

"Yes, sir!"

"Then you are dismissed. Good luck out there. You'll certainly need it."


	23. Horrors of War

A/N: At last, we venture into new territory, so far as updating the story is concerned. It's hard to believe it's been so long since I started writing and rewriting it, but I'm still here and I won't stop until it's finished. I'm glad that people are reading it and I hope you'll let me know what you think. Enjoy the show.

Jomei flew through the deep darkness below the earth, where he was most at home, once more. A large mine cart that had once shipped tons of ore now carried him and the others along miles and miles of track, through man-made tunnels and vast caverns, deep under the foothills and mountains of the north. Sometimes the way was lit by glowcrystals. Other times, the utter blackness was only broken by the lanterns on the cart. Every so often, they would come upon a fork, and the cart would veer whichever way their earthbender guide willed. The thin, pale man had the unnerving, withdrawn look of someone who spent too much time down here. Jomei had seen people like that before. Strange things went on in some parts of the Earth Kingdom, where people lived and died without ever seeing the sun, it was said. He had seen nothing of it, but the old tales had a deep-seated power to them and he was wary.

Onwards they flew, never slowing, never stopping, the constant roar of wind and clang of iron wheels on iron rails stifling any attempt at conversation. This was the way Xing's army could be everywhere at once, striking where the Fire Nation was weakest and vanishing without a trace. None of his soldiers said it, but Jomei knew these tunnels were here before him. The stonework was far too old and the rails were rusty in many places, the ties rotting away. He didn't know who built them and didn't much care. They served their purpose. He glanced over to the others. Kyuzo was the only one remotely enjoying the ride, a little smile on his face. Everyone else was hunkered down out of the cold breeze, away from the perils of the underground. Jomei had put his glowcrystal, saved from his old straw hat, on his new fur cap, and it helped light the way.

Finally, the cart screeched to a halt, shuddering on the rails and jolting everyone; they all looked relieved that the journey was over. They had travelled far to the west, Jomei knew, much farther than they could have gotten on foot. The ramp clanked downwards and banged on stone.

"End of the line," their guide announced from the rear. "All passengers, please exit to your right and don't forget to take your belongings with you when you leave. We hope you enjoyed your trip." He chuckled to himself, but nobody else laughed. Jomei and the rest of the group got off, following a glowcrystal-lit path that led to a blank stone wall. Their guide came up behind them, and, with the air of a host opening the door of his home to his guests, bent it aside. The guide waited for them to stop squinting and lower their hands, then opened it enough for a person to pass through, letting more light flood in.

"You've got four days, then I'll be back to pick you up, at sunset," he said, his own eyes clamped firmly shut. "You're not there, I leave without you. Don't be late."

The six companions emerged into the world of light once more and the door slammed shut behind them. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary rock face. The sea thundered against the shore to their right, the sun was sinking towards the horizon before them, and the mountains loomed to their left. They had spent over half a day just travelling. You lost track of time without the sun. Kyuzo let out a deep sigh.

"That's much better. I'll need a little time to get back to full power. Sitting in the dark for too long just drains your firebending."

"You were at the briefing, Kyuzo, you know it'll take us at least an hour to get to where we're going," Siensao reminded him. "Well, Jomei? You're in command. What should we do?" Her tone was merely curious, not demanding, but to the miner the question brought back all the uncertainty and doubt he'd managed to ignore until now and he started sweating. _Bones of the earth, I'm going to have to make so many decisions! If they're all as bad as this, I'll be dead in a month, never mind the Fire Nation._ He was very aware of Reki glaring at him as he hesitated, trying to think of what to say.

"Well?" she asked. Only she could make one word mean so much and so little of it good.

"I'm thinking!" he snapped back with more force than necessary. "Just what's that supposed to mean?"

"I meant no offense, sir," Reki said calmly. "If you heard something offensive, it was not intended."

"Is this how it's going to be the whole way through? Not on my watch. Come on. We're going to settle this before anything else happens. We'd all be dead if we start arguing in the middle of a godsdamned fight. The rest of you, wait here!"

He stormed off along a rough trail that led around one of the high rock faces nearby and Reki followed, her voice trailing off as they rounded the bend.

"At last, you speak something resembling sense…"

Siensao shook her head.

"You know, I'm not even going to bother reining them in this time, at least for a little while."

"Yeah," Kyuzo agreed, "Love makes people stupid sometimes."

"I wouldn't know," Nerrivek murmured, too quiet for anyone else to hear.

Siensao looked at him, surprised, and he shrugged.

"What? It's not exactly hard to notice. Jura and I started off the same way. You think I can't figure something out without your help?"

Zoukani's smile was more irritating to Siensao than usual and she muttered an apology, turning her mind to more immediate matters.

The trail that Jomei and Reki followed was little more than a goat-sheep path, narrow and rocky, but it took them out of sight and hearing of the others quite soon, and they halted in a place where it curved behind a great cliff, cut off from the world, out of sight of the sea. The miner turned to face Reki, taking off his hat. His green headband, amazingly, had survived all his traveling mostly intact. He knew what needed to be said, though it would hurt. But then, he guessed most everything did in one way or another. Life was, by and large, pain.

"Look, Reki," he said, studying his feet, "I'm sorry. I'll just say that right now and get it over with. I'm sorry for trying to force things and for thinking I could change part of who you are and not the rest. It was a dumb move. Even so, my feelings haven't changed. I still…ah, think well of you. And if it's not what you want, then bones of the earth, fine. It's not like I really expected anything else. Hoped for, sure. But the world won't do me any favors and you'd think I'd have learned that by now. That's what I've got to say." He raised his eyes and saw unspoken gratitude on the desert warrior's face.

"Your apology is accepted," she told him quietly, bowing her head. "In the desert, such a feeling as you claim is something that is expected to come after marriage, not before. It is not found in a company of warriors, for it has no place in war, as it has no place here. However, I have not yet told you all of my story. After I have, and if you still feel the same…well, I make no promises, and I do not hope or expect anything. But stranger things have happened."

Jomei chuckled weakly.

"I don't know if I've ever seen anything stranger."

"Yes, you do. You have seen cities made of mountains, the breaking of the Tumen nation, a Fire Nation army bound north into nothing but icy seas, the tallest mountains in the world, a city of both Water and Earth, hidden away, and a small general whose name the entire north fears. You have also seen me, Siensao, and the rest of our company. And all these sights have made you something as strange yourself. Against such things, two people with a certain regard for one another cannot compare."

Jomei shook his head with a weary smile.

"Well, when you put it that way, maybe not. So, we're good?" He held out his hand. Reki grasped it firmly and nodded, a stern look again on her face.

"We are. Come. Let us return to the others and begin. I apologize for my words earlier. But now that we are alone, let me speak bluntly with you about commanding. For all of my life, I have followed this strategy: even if you do not know what to do, speak with confidence and ask for the opinions of your warriors, then make your decision based on whatever wisdom you have gathered from them. Become who you wish your warriors to be and they will follow your example. Do you understand?"

Jomei nodded reluctantly as the two of them began walking back along the path.

"Yeah, I understand, it's just…well, it's different when I was just looking out for myself. I don't want to get any of you hurt because I screwed up."

"In war, people are hurt and friends die," Reki said bluntly. "Accept it and trust us to see what you do not. And if even we do not see a mistake in time, trust that there was nothing more you or we could do than our best."

The earthbender sighed, but stood up straighter.

"I'll do that."

"So, I trust you've worked everything out?" Siensao asked upon their return. "I apologize for putting you on the spot like that."

Jomei waved off her words.

"No, you're right. I might as well get on with thinking sometime. But I've got a plan now. First off, we need to find out how this place operates." He gestured toward the shoreline, where an oily black smear of smoke from the burning of tallow drifted over the trees below, about three miles northwest of their position. Nerrivek, you can probably get the closest to the place along the shore, since they probably didn't move far from their kil- hunting grounds. Take Fire Nation with you, cut in from the east, but not too close – that adds some time to the trip, but I'm sure you can cover it in time. Fire Nation, you know how your kind operates, see how many there are, especially the benders, how they're armed, what unit they're from. Stay low, keep hidden until dusk, then move inland."

He scanned the landscape again, then pointed. "See that big white rock, right between us and where the smoke's coming up? Make for that after you've gotten as much as you think will be useful – I'd say it's about a half-mile inland, so watch out for patrols on your way."

Nerrivek raised an eyebrow. Jomei shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "But of course, you know that," he apologized. "Meantime, the rest of us will swing west and come up on them from the south. Siensao, Zoukani, I want you going close enough in that you can pick up what they're talking about, how they're supplied, what their morale is like, if they like their commander, things we can use to get in and mess them up your way. Reki and I will be monitoring their patrols and figuring out the routes they use to transport their supplies. I want everyone back at the white rock before night gets on too much, since a night attack is the way to go against benders stronger during the day."

He looked over at the two women.

"Any thoughts? What is it I'm not seeing?"

"I'd like to observe their routine for more than a single day before settling on a plan of attack," Siensao noted, "and getting inside isn't a problem, if you need something done inside the outpost, we can do that now."

"I would not put Kyuzo with Spike," Reki said. "If they are caught, he will be helpless and she will have to waste time and effort protecting him in the water. I would also rather go with Zoukani, he can report what he has seen and heard back to Siensao and I know other ways than honeyed words to gain entry to an enemy stronghold. Also, you cannot assume they move over land. They most likely have boats somewhere to move out once they're done – we'll have to find and destroy those if we wish to immobilize them."

"We won't get caught," Nerrivek assured him. "They'll never see us there."

"Uh, actually, I'm a good swimmer," Kyuzo said brightly. "I can firebend in water. When I was a kid, we did that sort of thing all the time, down by the docks. It was great fun."

Jomei flushed red and tried to keep from wincing at each correction to his plan, mostly failing. By the time everyone finished, he was sweating hard again, but he pressed on.

"Well, uh, we'll decide whether or not to attack once we meet up again based on what everyone found out. We'll need to wait until dark before someone goes over the walls to look around anyway, right? Reki, you'll go with Zoukani, then, and watch things, and Siensao will come with me. Is everybody okay with that?"

"Do not ask, command!" Reki hissed in his ear, and Zoukani's widening grin told the miner she hadn't kept her voice low enough. He winced again.

"Yes," Siensao said, completely deadpan, "I believe your plan is the wisest course to prepare for a number of different strategies, without committing to one in particular before it's wise."

"Whatever you command, I'll do," Nerrivek said. Her ice spike ceased its twirling and dropped into her hand. "Point me at your enemies."

Kyuzo shrugged, a wry smile on his face.

"I'm really okay with whatever we decide. But if we start picking code names, I want to be 'Firebrand.' 'Fire Nation' is getting old."

"We are not picking godsdamned code names!" Jomei snapped. "This is serious, Fire Nation! Enough screwing around! Since no one objects, we're going with the plan. Let's get moving. We've got ground to cover." _And people to kill and an outpost to destroy. We've got a busy schedule._

The day lingered, as all summer days seemed to, and in the furthest reaches of the northern Earth Kingdom, it lasted a long time indeed. But finally, the ocean embraced the setting sun and the small company gathered around a small collection of glowcrystals, out of sight of the outpost. A fire's light and smoke was too risky, all the veterans agreed. The small company all looked tired and worn, but everyone was eager to speak. Jomei turned his attention first to Kyuzo and Nerrivek.

"You two first. What did you find out?"

"We went swimming," Kyuzo said with a grimace.

_Kyuzo hunched down atop a thin disc of ice, watching the bubble of air surrounding him and Nerrivek waver and ripple as they moved through the ocean. Up above, sunlight was broken and reflected into bright, shimmering, ever-changing patterns, fading away into the depths. Down below, the mud, sand, and rock of the sea floor shifted with the waves and currents. He hoped the waterbender knew where they were going._

"So, what'd you find out?" Jomei asked.

Spike was angry, the expression a foreign one, but heartfelt.

"Sights to make the Ocean spirit drown all the north."

Kyuzo looked rather green at the memory.

"It was bad," he agreed softly. "Pretty bad."

_Nerrivek poked her head up out of the water, just enough to bring her eyes above the rippling surface. The outpost was a large, low warehouse-like building sitting on an obviously earthbent expanse of flat stone, with the cold waves breaking under its northern edge, where wooden docks were set up. A wooden palisade surrounded the whole facility. The adjacent cove was blocked off with a great chain net that stretched to the seafloor. Nerrivek remembered it as being a peaceful place, with many tiger-seals sunning themselves on the rocks and sea birds roosting on the cliffsides. The Fire Nation had turned it into a slaughterhouse._

_ The waters of the cove were dyed red and choked with the dead. Three turtle-whales took up the entire western quarter of the cove, men in little boats hacking and tearing apart one of the carcasses. As for the rest, tiger-seals and leopard-sharks were the most numerous, though other big sea creatures were there too, being worked on. From the warehouse, she could smell the familiar stench of rendering, tanning, and all the other scents that came from when Jukana's hunters caught such prey. But these were invaders, who had stolen that which rightfully belonged to the Water Tribe and taking that much more food out of the mouths of those who needed it more, without observing the proper rites, she was sure. Behind her, she heard Kyuzo gagging as he tried to avoid being sick at a very bad time. Hearing the noise of an engine, she turned around and saw that the big transport they'd spotted earlier on was approaching, making for the docks. She ducked back under the water._

"Okay," Jomei said cautiously, "so they're doing a lot of killing, probably to feed all the people they brought up here for whatever reason. I don't see any way we can use that to smash the place." Honestly, he didn't really understand why Nerrivek was angry about it. If it had been people, he would have been furious, but animals were killed all the time. The Fire Nation had just figured out a way to do it faster and better. "So, a boat came in. Did you see or hear anything useful about that?" Reki had been right about the boats – they'd have to get rid of those first.

"Oh yeah," Kyuzo broke in excitedly, "we heard a lot! Just wait 'til you hear this."

_The big transport, a big floating slab of iron, tied up at the docks and lowered its huge boarding ramp, normally meant to let troops disembark swiftly. In this case, Kyuzo and Nerrivek, hiding under the ramp in the shallows, hardly daring to breathe, listened to the sounds of men hauling meat and hides on board. Some of the soldiers standing guard at the base of the ramp liked to talk, and one of them chatted quite a bit with one of the workers at the outpost. Unmoving, Kyuzo listened carefully._

_ "You've got quite an operation going here since we last stopped by," the soldier remarked. "Orders are for ships to drop by every other day instead of just once a week like we've been doing until now. Is there that much game out there?"_

_ He heard the grin in the worker's voice._

_ "You wouldn't believe the stories the hunting boats are telling us. They say there's dozens or hundreds of turtle-whales up there, great big groups of them, all different kinds, along with all the other tiger-seal caves along this whole coast. The fleet might get sick of eating the things, but they won't go hungry like we'd thought."_

_ The soldier chuckled._

_ "Hey, this is my first time here - how do you even hunt anything? We didn't bring any nets or harpoons or anything like that."_

_ "Captain Li's idea. He spent some time with the Southern Raiders back in the day and_ _those guys have move a lot quicker and farther than most units, so they don't bother setting up big bases or supply dumps at every island. Live off the land and our enemies, right? Every animal we kill is one less for those savages to eat. Makes'em crazy, I've heard, eating too much meat. I've heard that in the winter up here, if things get bad, they start eating each other."_

_ The soldier was getting impatient._

_ "I've heard all the same stories, just answer the question already."_

_ "Right, right. Well, we've got plenty of skiffs and longboats from the bigger ships in the fleet. We just pack a lot of them onto one big ship and they go out hunting. We've bolted spike-and-chain ballistae onto them. Those machines can throw a spear further than any man and twice as hard, and they're barbed, so they stick in whatever they hit, right? And somebody found another trick where we pack bombs into barrels, light up a fuse, and toss them overboard so they explode underwater. That either kills whatever we're after or makes'em surface so we can kill'em there. You know, I heard a story of some firebender who liked to go fishing by shooting lightning into the river and-"_

_ "Light of the fire spirits, if you were staring down a Water Tribe spear, I swear you'd try and tell the bastard a story. Oh hey there, friend, ever hear the one where a waterbender, an earthbender, and a firebender walk into a tavern? Blargh!"_

_ The two men shared a laugh._

_ "So," the worker asked, "when are we getting our next shipment of building supplies, anyway? The workers are getting impatient, we really need more space and equipment to expand the operation."_

_ "That's not for you to know. You know that orders are that supply shipments are kept secret so that tiny one-handed demon in the mountains doesn't know where to set his ambushes."_

_ The worker's voice grew whiny._

_ "Ah, come on! Don't be like that! Iron Hand-"_

_ There was a muffled thump and the worker started wheezing. The soldier's next words were harsh._

_ "Now I know you didn't just say that name, because if you did, I'd have to report you and you'd be spending the next five years doing the worst shit jobs in the north. The enemy is nothing. He's just the leader of those bastards we're going to kill and that's all. He is not to be called anything other than his name or whatever insult you care to throw at him. That's the order and I'll see it obeyed. Maybe you've been up here too long but in the homeland we know how to follow orders."_

_ The worker's answer was pained, but sincere._

_ "I was born in the homeland, sir, I can follow orders. Please forgive me."_

_ "Ah, it can't be helped. Discipline goes to rot in a place like this, but that doesn't mean we have to start respecting stone-head barbarians. Now, what were you saying about supply shipments?"_

_ "I only meant that Xing's got spies everywhere, he'll know one way or another, right?"_

_ "It's that kind of attitude that gives him what he wants. For all I know, you're a spy looking to get your hands on that information. You'll get new building supplies when they damn well get here and not before, soon enough, I promise."_

_ "Look, we could use more workers, too. How soon are we getting more people, can you tell me that?"_

_ "Now that I can tell you. Let that stone-head dare to ambush soldiers of the Fire Nation! The very next ship, the day after tomorrow, is bringing in more workers. Some of them are prisoners, Zhao's had raiders out hitting the Northern Water Tribe's outlying villages and we get prisoners sometimes if the leader is soft-hearted. No waterbenders, though, they make fine seasoning for the new fish that haven't fought a waterbender before. Agni, some of those ice-eyed bastards are vicious!"_

_ Kyuzo glanced over at Nerrivek and saw the same intent look he'd seen a hundred times. She didn't react at all. He shivered._

_ "Come on," he whispered, "We've heard enough."_

_ "No," she whispered back, "We learn all we can. And remember the fallen."_

Jomei had a new fire in his eyes upon hearing the news.

"So they've got prisoners, huh?" he muttered.

"Prisoners who would not thank us if we die trying to free them," Reki said flatly. "We might be able to save them, but we might not and the latter is more likely."

"Still," Siensao mused, "It would make a fine end to our mission and impress Xing even more. If there's a chance, it's worth the risk."

"Feh," Reki said with a shake of her head. "In the desert, we do not die for those who did not have the courage to die fighting or who were not skilled enough to force the enemy to kill them and they do not expect us to. They must regain their honor and courage on their own. Such is our way…" She noticed the look Jomei was giving her and grimaced. "However, this is not the desert. If it is your order, _Lieutenant_, I will do my best to free those people."

"If it comes to that, I appreciate it," Jomei said with a little smile. "But one thing at a time. Let's just focus on the important things. They have prisoners coming the day after tomorrow, they have a supply of bombs, maybe even blasting jelly, they have chain crossbows."

"Uh, they also have boomtips," Kyuzo cut in, flinching back from Jomei's frown.

"What on earth are boomtips?" the miner snapped.

"They're special bolts for ballistae," the firebender explained hesitantly. "The bolts contain an impact charge backed with blasting jelly, which goes off when it hits its target. I saw several of them mounted on platforms on the palisade around the outpost. They're devastating to earthbenders, usually they blast apart a stone shield or wall and anyone behind it gets a face full of rock chips."

"Oh, wonderful, another damn invention that makes life impossible," Jomei said, throwing his hands in the air. "So they definitely have blasting jelly and these boomtips. What else did you find out?"

"Just one thing more," Kyuzo said. "We saw some sea caves near the back of the cove, probably where the tiger-seals used to live, and Nerrivek thought she heard voices coming from them, right?"

The waterbender nodded.

"I did not think I heard them, I heard them," she said firmly.

"Right," Kyuzo said, "Sorry. And standard Fire Army policy is to secure any caves in the area around the camp or wherever, so we thought maybe that's where they're keeping the skiffs they have out ranging just down the coast. Skiffs can't handle rough seas, you know, they wouldn't stray far from the coast unless they had a big ship nearby."

Jomei nodded.

"Skiffs in the caves behind a shitload of blood and guts and an iron net and whatever guards they have set on them," he said contemptuously. "Maybe it'll be useful, but I doubt it. Is that all?!"

"Uh, yes, yes, that's it," Kyuzo murmured, lowering his gaze and bowing his head. "Well, everything significant, anyway. Unless you want to hear the stories they were telling?"

The earthbender ignored the question and turned to Reki and Zoukani.

"Where did you go and what did you learn?" he asked.

Reki, naturally, was the one who answered.

"We found a place up in the hills and made use of Siensao's spyglass. We watched. And we learned how the outpost operates and how it might be breached, as you commanded. I made my report to Siensao on the way back, so she and I will tell you what we know."

Siensao bowed politely.

"From what the two of them tell me," she said, "the outpost is not without defenses, yet it can be infiltrated. There are women among them, mostly professional camp followers, but some female soldiers as well, so Zoukani and I could slip into their midst and accomplish whatever you wish."

"I also observed flaws in their defenses themselves," Reki said. "We can take the outpost quietly in a night raid, if luck favors us, but probably there will be blood and battle and losses along the way. I cannot recommend taking it by storm or siege with such few numbers and the time limit, as I have no doubt you would prefer."

"Yeah," Jomei said, nodding, "You're right there. I don't really do raiding or infiltrating or whatever, I just know how to fight. I'll tell you what I saw. I saw shoddy construction work and bad earthbending done quickly without much care for doing it well. That whole place is built on a bad foundation. You see, those traitor earthbenders threw up that ground in big sections, and given the way some of them are sagging and the little slant to that building, I'd bet they didn't bother to shift enough earth in under them, there are big voids in the ground there and the sealing is starting to give way. Also, that rock is right by the ocean, and it's mostly sandstone, so it's riddled with cracks and flaws. Not to mention the palisade is new-made, all new wood, all green, taken from the hills around here, probably, and since they aren't all that tall or broad, there's plenty of places that are bending where they shouldn't or have joints or joins in awful places, even I can see that. One good hit would practically send the whole damn place into the ocean and I'd bet that worker you overheard knew all this, Fire Nation. He wanted the people and supplies to fix it and he was damn worried about it, as he should be."

He looked over the group, trying to hide the doubt and fear creeping around the back of his mind. He had three different ways he might do this, and he didn't doubt Reki and Siensao's plans would work. But for whatever reason, Xing had put him in charge – and he'd be glad to get rid of the honor and make Siensao a Captain for all he cared – and as far as he could see, his plan would work too.

"Here's what we'll do," he said, trying to sound confident. Reki favored him with an approving nod and he found new courage. Nerrivek straightened, attentive, and Siensao, a finger crooked under her lip, looked on with interest. Zoukani was as enigmatic as ever and he didn't care what Kyuzo thought. "When you're digging a mine tunnel, you don't just put in one timber and hope that'll hold the whole damn mountain up. You put in so many timbers it feels like you're walking through a forest instead of a mine, because a few of them might break, but all of them together make you as safe as it gets down there. We're not going to just pick one plan and hope it holds death away from all our lives."

He managed something resembling a grin. "We're going with all of them. Siensao, you and Zoukani know your business better than me. We've got a day before the supply ship comes, so I need you go get in there and do your thing. Go crazy. Find out whatever you can that'll give us an edge, but specifically, find out where they keep their explosives and see if you can steal a few, find out where they keep all the oil they're getting from those whales and everything else, do whatever you can to the soldiers and workers so they won't fight but don't let them know we're coming, find out where they're planning on keeping the prisoners and if they really do have skiffs in those caves. Reki, I need you and Spike to help me work up a plan for a night raid and for capturing that transport ship, sinking it if we have to, and for getting a lot of people out of here really fast. Kyuzo…you're with me. You'll do your bit in the raid and then we'll put this whole operation into the sea and kill every last ash-eater in there. We've got a lot of work to do and not much time to do it, so let's start now. If anyone's got anything to say, say it now."

"You are beginning to learn," Reki said into the silence that followed. She still had that elusive look of approval on her face, something that he found more rewarding than anything else. "If you live, you will do well in battle. I said a long time ago that you were running from battle and war. Now, for a little while, at least, you have stopped running. I look forward to seeing the results." Then that approval melted away into a grim frown. "And I hope that you avoid the fate of many great warriors and remain human, apart from the battle. I am sure I speak for all of us in this."

There were so many things Jomei might have said to her at that moment, and none of them was enough. So he said nothing. He didn't notice that Zoukani had lost his amused smile and stood at attention. The old soldier was as solemn as the grave. He had seen many great leaders of men, sensed their nature. It was in Reki, if now subdued and pushed aside. It was in Siensao, if twisted and the better part hidden. But here in Jomei, he sensed the first stirrings of that same nature, in a man who would do everything to strengthen it, without restraint. And that was something rare enough that he appreciated the moment and gave their commander the respect he had earned. If he lived, Jomei would go far. If she learned to step out of the shadows when needful, Siensao would go farther. If she rose again, Reki would go the farthest of all. But only if. If. A fragile word at the best of times, and here in this war, thin as spider silk, brittle and beautiful as crystal. If.

On his watch, Kyuzo found himself sharing the job of staring into the darkness with Zoukani. The glowcrystals were all put away, but the summer sky was clear, letting the waxing half moon light up the ocean and glint off the snowy peaks of the mountains. He could see the old soldier's shadow against the light, the eternal sentinel. The firebender was ruminating on the price he was about to pay for what he'd done. Akani had been right. Nothing in life was free. But if he chose to fight for what was in his heart, would he lose his soul? No matter what he did, nothing could stop him thinking about the families and friends of the Fire Nation soldiers they were going to kill. Did he know any of them, were any of them from the Dragon's Tail Islands, like him? Were they, like he used to be, wondering if this war was right? He didn't know. He'd never know. They'd never get the chance.

"You know," he murmured to Zoukani, "You're sitting in the company of a man who's betrayed his nation for a woman and somehow is still alive. That's got to be a small group of people."

Zoukani nodded sagely.

"I mean, she's worth it. She's all I have left over here. She saved me from that prison, no question. Without her I'd just have given up a few months in. I haven't seen her in months, now. I don't know if she's alive or not, the way the war is going down south. If I somehow get back there and she's dead…well, that'd change things. I'm really not sure what I'd do if that happened. I don't think it would be pretty."

Zoukani shook his head.

Kyuzo sighed.

"That's what I tell myself whenever I think about killing my own people. I'm doing it all for her and her people, and because the Fire Nation has become something…wrong. Something I don't want to be a part of. And something I'll never, ever be able to convince anyone in the Fire Nation is wrong while they're still winning the war. Oh, don't get me wrong, even with all of that, I don't think it's right to kill them. But it's what I tell myself when I have trouble sleeping, like I am now. I thought maybe if I explained all this to someone else, it'd sound better, more noble, more brave. I guess not. Funny, right? Me wanting to sound noble. Oh, that's a joke, for sure. But you know want to hear a better one?"

Zoukani shrugged.

Kyuzo gave him a humorless grin that he could barely see.

"Sometimes, when I'm telling myself all this, I even start to believe it."

_Reki dreamt of visiting the Blood Drinker in her prison. The other woman was tapping a stone spike on the rock, the same spike that had been driven through her hand. The wound was already gone, and her mad smile was as bright as ever._

_ "So glad to see that you're back in business," she greeted Reki. "But this second-in-command business can't last too long. Now that you've had another taste of glory, you'll never be able to hold back. Or hold me back, for that matter."_

_ "There is no glory in this," Reki muttered. "Only what duty demands."_

_ "Ha! Duty demands nothing of you, it's that big dumb hammerhead that you're doing this for, because he asked you nicely. Really, how low can you get? Well, once I'm back, maybe I'll keep him around for a while. He does have promise, but to be a great warrior, you need to be a little more…bloodthirsty. You need to want the kill. Oh, I could teach him all about that."_

_ "Why do you keep bringing me here when it accomplishes nothing?" Reki asked, crossing her arms. "You know I will never free you voluntarily."_

_ "Suppose you or your friends – Shenshai's fiery eyes, you have friends, even – were in mortal danger and I was the only one who could save them. What then, hm?"_

_ "I have given them permission to kill you if you do not return here when the fighting is done," Reki said, but there was doubt there and the Blood Drinker saw it._

_ "You don't know if they could do it. I don't blame you. But you'd do it. You'd let me off the leash. So go and pretend that you'll know when the time comes to kill yourself. You'll delay too long. You fear death too much. And then I'll be there. Or sometime in between then and now, you'll set me free on your own. So either way, the Blood Drinker will be coming back. I bring you here to remind you of that."_

_ "In other words, you enjoy inflicting pain," Reki said. "I have never been impressed by warriors who feel that way and you are no exception."_

_ "You do realize you're insulting yourself, right?"_

_ "I have changed. You have not. You are the same bloodthirsty beast in human skin that you have always been."_

_ The other woman glowered, sulking._

_ "I'm bored now," she said, and ripped one of her feet free of the stake pinning it down. Reki reeled back as a wave of corrupting hate rattled the walls of the prison, stumbling._

_ "You see?" The Blood Drinker said, flexing her toes experimentally. "Just a friendly reminder. I'll be back. You can go now."_

It was the waiting that drove men mad. Jomei leaned back against the cold, wet stone of the little hideaway he had bent into the rock, where the icy waves broke and foamed, casting salt spray up into his face whenever he stuck it out to look at the far horizon, out at where the summer sun blazed away over the rolling ocean. A drop of sweat made its slow way down the back of his neck, itching fiercely. Everyone was in place, everyone knew the plan and what to do if and when it all crumbled into dust. He couldn't stop thinking of them, worrying that someone was going to die because of something they hadn't caught or hadn't foreseen. Jomei was fighting back panic with every moment that passed. But he was winning. Still, the waiting got to him.

"Relax," Nerrivek advised him. The waterbender's eyes were closed and she might have been asleep for all the movement she made. "Everything's taken care of until the ship gets here. There's nothing to worry about that you can make a difference in."

Jomei nodded.

"Yeah, I know," he murmured. "That doesn't make it any easier to do nothing."

Back to waiting. Back to battling fear. No matter. He had beaten fear before in the mines of Teoro.

The sun crawled across a cloudless sky, climbing up into the heavens. It was midday when Jomei's tired eyes at last saw something on the horizon. A black dot, slowly growing bigger. A ship. Maybe the one they were waiting for.

"Hey," he whispered to Nerrivek, "This might be it!"

She didn't move.

"Let me know when you find out."

Jomei's battle with fear was over. Now that the moment was here, he could do something, he could act. Now his battle with impatience began as the ship approached.

It was many moments, but the miner at last recognized the transport they were waiting for, a great floating iron box that smashed its way through the waves, turning towards the Fire Nation outpost. Now Nerrivek was on her feet, moving through a waterbending form without bending, working out the kinks and cramps of her former stillness now that the fight was almost upon them. The transport slid smoothly up to the docks, backing water and throwing up enormous fountains of mist in the process. Jomei slowly bent the opening of the hideout wide enough for a person to get through to let his eyes adjust to the dazzling light again.

The transport's ramp lowered with the rattle of huge chains and the hiss of steam-powered winches, hitting the stony shore with an echoing clang. Even from a distance, Jomei heard the sound of marching, people on the move. He saw the red and black of Fire Nation uniforms, surrounding a mass of dirty brown that could only be the promised prisoners. _Prisoners for now_, he thought darkly. _Not for much longer._ When the last of the column vanished behind the palisade, Jomei turned and gestured to Nerrivek.

"Right," he said grimly, "let's go." As simply as that, everything went into motion.

Nerrivek leapt from the hideout, bending water into a disc of ice in mid-leap and landing squarely on top of it. Jomei was only a second behind, though he slipped and barely kept his footing. Nerrivek quickly encased his feet in ice to keep him upright and out of the water, then swept her arms back and the two of them went flying across the waves. They sank below the surface immediately, and this time, there was no bubble of air to keep them safe, it would slow them down too much. Jomei held his breath as they sliced through the depths, arrowing towards the shallows. He flexed his hands, getting ready for a feat of earthbending he'd never tried before. _Flow towards their weakness, just like in Aariak's lessons._

As they reached the shallows, Nerrivek was forced up out of the depths by the sea floor rising up fast beneath them, throwing up a great wake and a plume of white water behind them. Warning shouts rang out from soldiers on shore, but it was far too late. The ice holding Jomei's feet dissolved back into water and Nerrivek flung him towards the beach.

He landed hard, his feet plowing furrows through sand and rocks as he skidded to a halt, right in front of the great blocks of stone that held up the seaward half of the outpost. Even as his feet stopped, his hands were moving, reaching up to unlimber his warhammer and bringing the weapon up and over his shoulder. He spun it once to gain momentum, gathering and focusing all the might that was his to command into the heavy steel, then brought it down in a silver arc, roaring at his enemies,

"FOR TEORO!"

_**BOOM!**_

The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the ground that staggered everyone within a hundred paces, the stone shuddering with power, shattering the ill-formed seams of the foundation stones. For an excruciating moment that stretched on and on, they still held fast and Jomei wondered if maybe something else was holding them up and everything would go wrong.

Then, with a rising roar that grew louder and _louder_ and **LOUDER**, deafening him, tons of rock collapsed back into the ground from where it had come. Wood snapped, iron twisted and broke, bolts and nails shattered and sheared off, and men screamed, punctuating the din. Tons of debris slid down towards Jomei, a wave of jagged death that would break and bury him. He wrenched his hammer free, stone chips flying, just as the stone under his feet bowed and buckled, sending him flying skyward. Nerrivek had swung out far from shore to avoid the falling rock and was circling back in to carry out the next stage of the attack. As he soared up through the air, Jomei saw the Fire Nation troops and the prisoners staring at the wreckage, shock and horror clear even from his height, running from the falling stone, some unlucky few caught up in the landslide. Some of them looked up at him, mouths and eyes wide – strange that he couldn't hear them. Then came the fire.

As the roar of sliding stone rose up, Siensao practically exploded out of the cramped confines in the explosives storeroom where she had spent the better part of the day. Snatching up a firebomb, she lit the fuse and tossed it into the corner, among casks of blasting jelly. Then she ran as though all the demons of the world were on her heels, heaving open the heavy iron door and sprinting for dear life. That fuse was eight seconds long and she was counting.

Zoukani, standing among the barrels of oil stored in the landward side of the outpost, struck a spark-stick and held it over an open barrel for an instant, admiring the trails of oil he had left everywhere. _I haven't had this much fun in a while._ Then he opened his fingers and set the world ablaze.

Jomei, up in the air, had the best view of everything happening at once. The explosives store disappeared into smoke and fire with a blast so loud it hammered his eardrums, obliterating most of the eastern palisade and throwing splinters, twisted iron, and patches of burning oil hundreds of feet, along with shrouding everything on that side of the place in black smoke. On the other side, fire engulfed the oil stores, spreading to the roof. In the instant before the smoke swallowed everything, he saw everyone still standing either falling to the ground or being flung there. Then he was falling, the wind rushing past, whistling in his ears, and he looked down, concentrating on landing without killing himself. _Boom!_

He landed in a crouch, hammer still gripped in both hands, on the eastern side of the docks, Nerrivek riding a wave over to meet him. Any moment now, Siensao and Zoukani would commandeer a couple of the remaining ballistae on the palisade and start the real fun. He saw the remaining gunners not enveloped by the smoke and still standing finally respond to the chaos, bringing their weapons around to bear on him and the waterbender. Any moment now, they'd be dead. They took aim and he knew. _Something's wrong! Shit!_ The first ballista loosed with a resounding _crack!_ Nerrivek's ice spike took it in midair, setting off the boomtip. _What on earth is everyone else doing?! They're supposed to be getting shit done!_

"Come on!" he yelled at Nerrivek, gesturing for her to climb onto his back. Bending a thick layer of watery armor about her body, she did so, and he launched them skyward again, into the drifting smoke and haze, up into the madness. Again he bellowed defiance.

"Come on, you bastards! Fight me! I'll kill every last one of you!"

Siensao's world was a blurry haze of light and shadow, eclipsed only by the vague, distant sounds and the ringing in her ears. _Should've…done…longer…fuse,_ she thought woozily, fingers idly tracing patterns through the dirt. She lay half-conscious, the back of her stolen uniform smoldering. Then Zoukani was there, hoisting her up onto his shoulder, helping her away, just another comrade helping out a friend in need.

"Need…gedda…barrista…" she slurred, struggling to make her vision and mind focus again. Zoukani tilted her head over to the right and she saw what looked like stone flying. Then they were among the Fire Nation soldiers and everything became too much, too confused for her to see.

Kyuzo and Reki, as soon as things started blowing up, scrambled up and out from under the thin layer of dirt that had concealed them not fifty paces from the palisade and were on the move, sprinting towards the smoke-filled gap. The gunners in the nearest watchtower turned their weapons towards the two attackers and Reki yelled at the firebender, so forcefully that he started,

"Halt!" He stopped, glancing left and right, not sure what to do.

"Swat that boomtip!" she ordered him in a voice that brooked no alternative. Kyuzo turned and took aim, just as he'd done a thousand times before during training, trying to remember Nerrivek's advice on pinpoint bending at a distance. _Calm, then aim, then wait until it hurts._ The ballista lined up on them. _Then bend._ Kyuzo struck with two fingers, sending a thin stream of fire arcing out through the air. It hit the head of the bolt, before it could be launched, and the top of the watchtower disappeared in the resulting blast. The noise barely made him wince, though Reki shook her head. _Now I know why Kyuzo is nearly deaf in one ear._ Then the desert warrior grabbed hold of his arm and shoved him forward so hard he nearly fell.

"Get moving, warrior!" she yelled, coming after him. "Stay close to me!" Her sword glittered in the sun, its shining curve a match for the fierce grin that kept forcing its way onto her face. "I'll cut us a path through them!"

Then they were into the smoke, into noise, into flame, into hell once again.

Reki moved through the haze and din like a ghost, and dragged Kyuzo along by the arm behind her, the firebender moving with all the grace and agility of a drunken mandrillophant. All around them, men were shouting at each other, and she heard chains rattling and death screams, so at least some of the prisoners were fighting already, but she couldn't stop to help them yet. She had killing to do.

She burst out of the smoke, still hauling Kyuzo behind her, and made for the barracks, where just about the entire garrison of the outpost was lying down, too sick to move, Siensao and Zoukani's work. One soldier, only half into armor, finally shoved open the door, sweating and pale. He saw Reki standing there for half a second before her sword ripped his gut open. A high kick sent him tumbling back into the building and she slammed the door shut again. Kyuzo took off the wooden wedges from around his neck and jammed it shut.

"Burn it!" she snarled at him and he obeyed without thinking, sending twin jets of flame into the base and roof of the barracks, which caught fire. Then he realized what he'd done. Reki didn't give him time to think about it, spinning him around and shoving him away. The smoke was starting to clear and Fire Nation soldiers were emerging from the haze, getting the firebender's attention and keeping it. Reki stepped forward slowly, steadily, the burning barracks at her back and her sword dripping blood. She raised her voice.

"HEY, ASH-EATERS!" she shouted, a piercing cry that was meant to command across a battlefield and that got people's attention. "COME AND GET ME!"

And come they did, organizing and hastily forming up, spears lowered, swords drawn, and firebenders at the ready. But their advance was hesitant, cautious. Who was this madwoman who dared the Fire Nation to kill her, shrieking like a demon in the midst of this destruction? Reki raised her sword, feeling the thrill of battle once more and ever more powerless to fight it. _This_ was where she belonged, _this_ was what she was made for, _this_ was the only place where she was alive.

She raised her sword and saw the Fire Nation showing fear.

"Who dies first?" she asked.

Another _boom!_ announced Jomei's landing and pain lanced up his legs, but nothing seemed broken or sprained, so he ignored it. He and Nerrivek had landed close to the edge of safe ground, where he'd last seen the prisoners, but as he coughed and fought his way through the smoke, he couldn't seem to find them. Then he almost tripped over a length of chain and saw that it was connected to someone's ankle. If he was lucky, just about all the prisoners would be connected to it.

"Hey, you there," he snapped at the first prisoner, "hold still a minute and I'll get those off you! Nerrivek, head right, I'll go left, cut the chains!"

"Sir!" Nerrivek said, and headed off at once. Jomei bent a stone wedge into the air and brought it down on the long connecting chain with all his might, shattering the iron links. The prisoner looked at him with shock, then gratitude, then he realized what was happening and fierce hatred spread over his face.

"PRISONERS OF THE FIRE NATION!" Jomei bellowed to anyone who could hear him. "GATHER HERE AND BREAK YOUR CHAINS! IT'S TIME TO KILL THESE ASH-EATERS!"

The answering shout of approval was louder than he'd hoped for.

By the time Siensao's mind and vision had cleared, she found herself on board the transport with the boarding ramp rising. She felt the rumble through the deckplates as the engines lurched into motion again, getting ready to take them away from here. Zoukani was still supporting her. She closed her eyes. Everything she knew about the current situation and possible resolutions ran through her head in an instant. She settled on one and opened her eyes again.

"We need to get to the bridge," she said to the old soldier, standing on her own feet again, and he led her off down the corridor at once, boots ringing on metal. She followed as fast as she could without making her head spin again. _Next time I'm leaving the explosions to Kyuzo._

Death danced among men under the hot sun, flickering silver, sandy brown, and venomous green. Its dancing partner was only a man, but a man of fire, that resisted the fiercest firestorms, blinded men with explosions of brilliance, and flung death of iron and fire among the enemy ranks. The dead and dying lay scattered about, in some places high enough to trip over. Death danced among men and built a fortress of those it claimed.

Reki avoided yet another attempt at a mass rush, ducking between one man's legs and ripping open an artery on the way through, then taking out another man's eye with an upward slash as she rose to her feet. Whirling about, she leaned out of the way of a sword cut and opened the wrist of the hand that held it, half-severing the joint. In the next instant, as two people tried to trap her with spears, she jumped back, doing a flip into Kyuzo's protection and he deflected a fire blast that would have burned her alive with one hand, throwing one of his dwindling supply of bombs with the other. The soldiers scattered away from it, but it still killed or wounded some. Enough to make them think twice.

Three men tried a side-by-side headlong charge. Reki held still until the past possible second, then sidestepped, blocking a sword stroke and feeling the shock through her wrists. The duel was brief and ended with her on one knee in front of him with his throat cut, blood splattering over her. The other two had pivoted to come at her and she was getting slower but also more savage. Her sword turned a spear thrust and a high kick shattered teeth and sent him sprawling. She lobbed the spear at the third man and the time he spent swatting it aside left his sword lowered. She stamped one foot on it to keep it there and this time her two-handed stroke did take off a hand. Kyuzo finished off the downed man with a quick fire kick. Human flesh ignited easily. So long as she had her back to the still-burning ruins of the barracks and Kyuzo to guard against fire blasts, Reki could deal death by the dozen.

A snarling, bestial cry tore its way out of her as she howled and spit defiance into the teeth of the Fire Nation. Then, suddenly, she found herself with no one to fight. The Fire Nation, dismayed by the loss of so many people, had fallen back, frightened at the gruesome spectacle before them. Reki crouched there, hunched over in a feral manner, panting for breath after her exertions, drenched in the blood of the fallen and coated in soot from the flames at her back. Her hair was wild, framing the face of a demon. For a short time, the only thing that moved was the blood, dripping off her notched sword, which was caked with gore, and the most audible sound was the crackle of the flames and Reki's breathing. Then, she flung back her head and screamed into their faces,

"**WHO ELSE WANTS SOME?!**"

She would never know the answer, or else it was swallowed in the cries of many people and battle was joined once again. But not with her just yet.

Jomei had an army, however small, at his back. Some of them had chains, some of them had managed to snatch Fire Nation weapons, most had little more than their bare hands and the will to use them. Nerrivek had armed as many as she could with sharp ice knives that would shatter after one blow. But they were willing and ready to fight and he was at their head. The smoke had almost completely cleared save from the crater where the explosives storehouse used to be. The Fire Nation soldiers had formed a half-circle around where he'd last seen Reki, but the outermost ring faced towards them, ready and willing to burn them to ash if they made a move but holding back for fear that they might attack and provide a fatal distraction from dealing with Reki and Kyuzo. A very fatal distraction was exactly what Jomei intended to provide. He raised his hammer high.

"Free men of Earth and Water!" he shouted. He had never felt so powerful. One day, he would liberate Teoro like this. One day, he would free the Earth Kingdom like this. Today, he would free this one outpost. It was enough.

"Are you ready?!"

Their battle cries shook heaven and earth, or so it seemed to him.

"Then FOLLOW ME! DEATH TO THE FIRE NATION!"

And he charged forward, shrieking furiously and they followed him. Nerrivek was throwing ice spikes, swift and sure, and firebenders fell before they knew what was happening. Fire blasts tore into their ranks, burning down many, but not enough and then the blood-mad mob crashed into the Fire Nation lines and everything vanished into the red maelstrom of a fight to the death.

Siensao and Zoukani burst through the door of the bridge, going left and right as though they'd done it a thousand times. Siensao was holding three daggers, one in her right hand, two in the left, and flung them, one after the other. She wasn't in Kei Dao or Nerrivek's league as a knife thrower or sniper, but at this range, it was impossible to miss. Zoukani, holding sword and dagger, just got among the bridge crew and started cutting left and right. The captain, a firebender, was about to incinerate Siensao when Zoukani's knife went through his hand, quenching the blast before it was thrown. And a second later, the veteran's sword went through his heart, twisting as it withdrew. He was the last. The bridge was theirs. They were a good distance away from shore now. Siensao smiled as she pulled the throttle from _Full Reverse_ all the way back, to where it was marked _Ahead Slow_. _Time for this battle to change course._

Jomei's stone armor deflected another spear point and his return swing of the hammer crushed a shoulder. The fight was going well. Every so often, he had to pause, to take note of the larger picture, to make sure his friends were safe. They were driving the Fire Nation northwards towards the slope of rubble that used to be the seaward half of the outpost. They were winning. Then they were in position.

"PUSH, EVERYONE!" he shouted, and suited action to words, throwing up a stone wall and shoving it forward. The Fire Nation soldiers behind it found themselves standing on air for a brief moment before they were falling, back down the slope, into the rubble. A quick glance around showed him that the remaining prisoners were doing the same. Another of Kyuzo's bombs went off, along with another blinding flash, sending a goodly number of people over. Soldiers turned and jumped rather than face Reki. Then, as they struggled to get up and flee, Nerrivek rose from the sea, wielding a long water whip with an edge as sharp as thought and began cutting them down. Jomei threw rocks and the prisoners imitated him, picking up and throwing heavy stones. Kyuzo's fire blasts cut down some. But a few soldiers escaped, westward down the coast. Jomei swore mightily.

"Damn! They're getting away!"

"Oh no!" Reki said with a laugh, pointing, "No they're not!"

Then the miner saw the transport easing back into position at what was left of the docks he knew.

"Siensao, you wonderful woman!"

"Everybody BACK!" Reki bellowed, waving at the mob and Jomei fell back with the rest, back to wait for the moment to come.

The ship gently thumped against the shore, and the boarding ramp lowered once again. Siensao was out on deck immediately, and manning the lone ballista mounted there. The great weapon moved easily, and she took aim at the fleeing soldiers, a satisfied smile on her face. She pulled the trigger and they vanished in a cloud of smoke and dust, the echoes of the blast rippling out over the waves.

Standing there, ready to board and capture the transport to sail out of here, Jomei looked over to Reki, a grim smile on his face. The glee on her narrow features killed what little joy he felt. Her tongue ran lightly over lips curved up in a smile that scared him more than Hanhei ever did. She did return his glance and await orders, but with visible impatience.

Jomei raised his voice.

"It's over!" he yelled, exultant. "We've won! Here's your way home! Let's go and get it!"

But even as he spoke the words, some of his joy faded as he saw just how many prisoners had died for what he'd done. At least they had died free men, fighting for their people. In a war like this, you really couldn't ask for much more. He didn't notice Kyuzo turning and wandering off.

As Jomei made his announcement and declared the fight over, Reki was on the verge of defying him and shedding yet more blood. _I should be the leader here, not some weak fool who leaves enemies alive while he still draws breath! I should just go and kill them all! I should laugh at their fear!_ Then she saw just how close her blood-smeared sword was getting to her mouth and she knew whose thoughts those were. _NO!_

With a quiet groan, she let the blade fall, forcing her fingers open and stood up straight, her smile gone. _Not today,_ she thought, trying to keep from shaking at how close things had come. _Not today. Not yet, Blood Drinker. Not while I live._

Kyuzo's meandering path took him back to where he and Reki had made their stand. The smoldering wreckage of the barracks showed blackened bones in a few places, all that was left of the people that had suffocated or burned to death in the fire he had started. He walked onwards a few steps, unsteadily, glancing from one body to the next, seeing all the cruel ways they had died. Small craters in the ground and bodies peppered with iron shards showed where his bombs had struck. The burned bodies on the ground were his handiwork as well. He looked around the battlefield helplessly.

"I did this…" he whispered. "What have I done?"

A groan nearby startled him and he nearly loosed a fire blast, but then saw that one of the fallen was still alive, if just barely. His hand was half-severed at the wrist and a large red stain on his belly told of a deadly sword thrust, but he'd thrust his good hand into the burning building to grasp a brand and managed to burn the wounds shut, after a fashion, enough to save his life, though he was too weak even to crawl very far away and now lay, face in the dust, struggling to breathe. He would be a long time dying.

Kyuzo ran over to him, kneeling down and carefully turning him over. He was a fairly young man, his beard might have been neatly trimmed before, and his face looked stern, even facing death. His eyes opened and focused weakly on Kyuzo, kneeling over him.

"It'll be okay," Kyuzo said miserably. "I'll…I'll get you fixed up…get a healer…get somebody…"

"You…you're…that firebender…" the soldier wheezed, his words dying way into a wet cough that wracked his body.

"I was just…I was…I never wanted to…the Fire Nation is wrong!" Kyuzo stammered, wishing with all his heart that he was a healer and not someone who blew things up for a living. He started tearing frantically at the man's clothes for bandages, but then the soldier spoke again.

"Damn…traitor…why…bother…"

He stopped dead, then spoke again, leaning closer, his voice a pleading whine.

"Yes, I'm a traitor, but this war, this war is wrong, we can't just keep on killing people for nothing! You've got to understand!"

"I...understand…understand you…killed me…betrayed…own nation…"

"But the war is wrong, our nation is wrong, the Fire Lord is wrong, everything I've ever known is just wrong, I had to do it I had to I had do I didn't want to, _please_, you've got to believe me!"

The dying man turned his head away.

"Don't matter…why…you did…just that…you did..." Another painful breath. "Think I…care…about…why? Fuck…you…traitor…just…get it…over…finish…job…"

"It'll be okay," Kyuzo whispered dully. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Dagger…in…boot…use that…don't want…take…days dying…please…"

Kyuzo shook his head, weeping uncontrollably now.

"No, I don't want to, you can't make me, I just want the fighting to stop, I just want to stop the war, I just want to go back to Jura."

With a last surge of strength, the dying man reached up with his good hand and gripped Kyuzo by the neck.

"That's what I'm asking you! Make this pain stop! Give me some fucking mercy! Even a traitor can do that!" He fell back, his hand falling to the ground again, drained by his great effort.

"O…okay," Kyuzo said numbly, fumbling at the man's boot, where he found the promised dagger and wrapped both shaking hands around it. "I...I'll make it stop. I'll make it all better. I can do that."

"…thanks…" the soldier said, closing his eyes.

Kyuzo raised the knife, closed his own eyes, and brought it down with a quick, convulsive movement. The soldier's tortured breathing finally stopped in a long death rattle. Kyuzo let go of the knife and scrambled back through the blood-soaked dirt. That was more than he could take. He tucked his knees up against his chest, buried his head away, and put his hands over his ears to try and shut out the world, shivering violently as the tears rolled down his face.

He didn't know how much time passed until Nerrivek found him that way. As she approached, amidst the devastation, her expression was still blank, but her eyes were a little older, a little wearier, a little sadder, a little angrier.

"Kyuzo," she said softly. "Kyuzo, listen to me. Listen to me. You remember me. Spike? The girl from the sparring circle. You remember me. Look at me."

She tapped him on the shoulder gently and his head jerked up as he fell backwards, fire flaring up in his hands, but just as swiftly dying away. He had been crying. He was still crying, the tears leaving cleaner tracks down cheeks blackened with soot and dust. He couldn't stop. He looked up at her with a wordless question or two that she knew well. _What have I done? Why? Why did this happen?_

"You survived," she said. "That's good. And you accomplished your mission, which is better. You'll make a good soldier one day."

"I don't want to be a soldier," he choked out, having to clear his throat before speaking.

"Neither did I," she said, "But Iron Hand's men took me all the same. Just as the Fire Nation took you and so did Siensao and now Iron Hand as well. They'll make you fight. Benders always have to fight, sooner or later."

"I don't want to fight," he said despairingly. "I just want to make fireworks…make people happy…those were my people there and I killed them."

"The same people who are planning to enslave us all," Nerrivek remarked.

"That's one thing I've never understood!" Kyuzo blurted out, standing up, life in his eyes again, and anger. "People like you and Reki and Siensao! How can you be so cruel and cold and ruthless! It scares the shit out of me! People are dying because of you! Don't you care?!"

"It was them or us," she said, unfazed by his outburst.

"I know that, but they're still people and a few of them were probably like I was, not even wanting to be here, not caring about who wins and who loses or if the Fire Nation gets to rule another Earth Kingdom village or anything! It's like…like life just means nothing to you!"

"It doesn't," she answered, nodding. "They were the enemy, and as for my friends, we'd all give up our lives if that's what's needed to win."

Kyuzo slumped, all the fight going out of him as suddenly as it had appeared.

"I won't become like you. I won't," he said, shaking his head. "I just can't, not even if I wanted to. Someone has to remember these people for people and not enemies. Someone has to speak for them, remind Xing and Siensao and the rest of them that we're fighting people and not demons."

"No one will listen," Spike said solemnly.

"They'll listen," Kyuzo said slowly, "Or I won't help them."

"Siensao and Iron Hand won't like that."

Kyuzo burst into horrible, hysterical laughter.

"Oh, they won't like it, huh? That's a good one! They might not like what I have to say! Haha! Well guess what? I _don't fucking care! Fuck them!_" He wiped his eyes, looking at her without a care in the world, an unearthly confidence in his eyes that he had never had before. "I'm a man without a nation, whose best friend is half a world away and who probably isn't going to live too long, so I've got _nothing to lose_. They don't have to like what I say and I'll follow orders, I'll do whatever they tell me, but before I do so, I _will be heard_."

"So, you've finally realized your own worth," Siensao said and Kyuzo, startled, whirled around to see the merchant step out from behind the ruins of the barracks, Zoukani trailing along behind her as always. Nerrivek rolled her eyes and mimed throwing an ice spike, then moved off again. "Good. I appreciate willing servants as much as the next woman, but if you're going to work with me, I prefer someone with a little fire in their heart and a willingness to speak up for what they believe in. A challenge, in other words. It keeps me sharp."

"You were never my friend, were you?" Kyuzo said quietly, not bothering to hide his ravaged face. "All you ever saw in me was a weapon to use against the Fire Nation."

"Kyuzo," Siensao answered solemnly, "In many ways I'm the best friend you have. I've done a great deal for you and done my best to help you work through the necessity of fighting your own people."

"That's not what I mean. You never talk about your past, we've never chatted over tea or anything. The only things we do together are about fighting. Friends are more than that."

The merchant sighed.

"It's a dangerous game I'm playing, Kyuzo, more so than you know. Any friend of mine is at risk, even more so than a colleague. I do enjoy your company and would be happy to have your friendship, but I've done all I can."

"I'm already a traitor to the Fire Nation, if they catch me, they'll execute me on the spot if they're feeling generous," the firebender muttered. "What more risk is there?"

"The risk of staying alive but losing your self. Whatever it is that makes you unique. All that could be gone and someone else would go on living your life while you watched helplessly. If they're feeling generous. No, Kyuzo, there is more risk and I don't want you taking it."

He shrugged.

"I guess it doesn't really matter anyway. I sort of thought you'd be angry."

"Angry that you object to the way Xing's carrying on this part of the war? I should think not! Any decent person would. No, Kyuzo, you're exactly the leverage I need to convince Xing to change his methods just a little bit and let me start working on things of real importance. I can't say I planned it this way, but it works perfectly. We both get what we want."

Kyuzo shook his head.

"I don't want to have to kill more of my people." There was still an edge in his voice that hadn't been there before. "But there's no way on earth I'm getting that, is there?"

"In war, people die," Siensao said sadly. "It's easier to remember this before battle than after. But I can promise you, what these men would have done to us if we'd been caught would have been worse, and they're still got plans for the Northern Water Tribe and this province. If I felt the tragedy of every death in this war, I would break. I hate to say this to you, but you can't let yourself care about them or you'll die, whether of a broken heart or at the hand of those you care for. Things have always been that way in war. And they always will be."

"If I can't care," Kyuzo murmured, "then at least I can remember. I'd like to be alone for a while."

The merchant bowed and withdrew, leaving him staring at the Fire Nation dead once more. This time, his gaze was thoughtful and solemn as he tried to remember each face, this day, this moment. Because no one else would.


	24. Domain of the Demons

**A/N:** Not only have I finally finished rewriting all the chapters, I'm back to semi-regular updates! I've been writing quite a bit more than I used to and in a minor miracle, getting slightly better. Funny how that works. The Jukana Arc is moving swiftly towards its epic conclusion and I know you're all excited to see how it ends. Also, I've done a little funny segment at the end, prompted by my editor's jokes about Siensao and Xing. Enjoy the show.

Siensao cast a long shadow, looming above the map of Shaokai Province like a god preparing to render judgment on the land. The map was a fine one, sculpted by Jukana's earthbenders, showing every detail of the province from the mountainous north to the lush green lands to the south and the great lakes of the Earth Kingdom, with little flags marking the major cities and towns. Zoukani knelt at her right, and on her left, looking uncomfortable as usual, was Kyuzo. When she spoke, it was with the confidence of a hunter on her home ground.

"The success of a strategist and a general," she said in a lecturing tone, "depends upon three things: Information, Prediction, and Adaptation. If you know everything relevant about any given situation, if you can predict the actions of both your allies and your enemies, and if you can quickly adapt your plans to account for the inevitable failures and unexpected successes along the way, you will be victorious. What is the most preferable method of achieving victory?"

"Uh, to win without fighting?" Kyuzo answered, a little unsure. _This was what I wanted,_ he reminded himself, _to be able to speak for the Fire Nation in these planning sessions. I've got to put it to good use._

"Correct," she said, nodding. "Now, a strategist doesn't always have good or complete information to work with, so I'm going to give you a little test. I'll tell you the basics of the Fire Nation occupation in Shaokai Province, and you'll tell me how you would achieve victory. And remember, sometimes victory without fighting is impossible." The stick in her hand tapped sharply on the map, at a place where the tall northern mountains became low foothills and a broad river flowed to the lake.

"Jingzao is _here_. It's the capital of the province, a city of forty thousand. Five thousand of those people are Fire Nation soldiers from the 47thth and 48th Divisions. Much of the city is built into the sides of this river valley and two walls, tall, thick, and iron-plated, guard either end. A new Fire Nation fortress, Shan Ling, overlooks the valley and city at the northern end, where a road north begins, close to the river, and holds another thousand soldiers from the 49th Division, the rest of that division being scattered across the province in small forts, allowing for quick deployment and maintaining authority in the outlying villages and towns."

Her stick moved again, tap, tap, tap.

"These are the other major cities and they are not so heavily garrisoned, but when they were conquered, the Fire Nation tore down their walls and rounded up all the earthbenders and waterbenders they found who would not serve them, so if these cities rebelled, they could easily be retaken. Should the situation become desperate, the Fire Nation forces fighting in the northeastern Earth Kingdom can send two reserve divisions west to reinforce those already here. As for Xing's army, you're already familiar with its numbers and resources. That is the military situation. But as I have already said, military might is not the only force to be considered. What are the other factors to be accounted for, Kyuzo?"

The firebender was gaining confidence now.

"Uh, the hearts and minds of the people and the enemy soldiers, the civilian resources and locations, and the way the province is connected to the rest of the world."

"Correct again. As to the people's thoughts, the Fire Nation governor, Okani, has at least managed to avoid being hated more than usual. He has threatened and carried out reprisals for Xing's raids in a remarkably even way while rewarding those who aid the occupation and governance in a similar fashion. He has held off enforcing Fire Nation cultural edicts and laws, thus, the people have less motivation to fight him. As to his men's thoughts, they dislike some of his methods, but see their effectiveness and trust his judgment, if reluctantly. As to civilian resources, the province is sparsely populated and most of its food comes from the south, which is firmly held by the Fire Nation. Its main exports are stone, metal, and furs. Lastly, as to connections, roads are few and well patrolled by the Fire Nation, the rivers are watched. The province is quite isolated, particularly in the north. Its main importance is that it permits Fire Nation reinforcements to cross overland to the front lines rather than tying up warships and transports shipping them in through the lakes. This is the basic situation right now. So, Kyuzo, what suggestions do you have for retaking the province? Take your time and think it over carefully."

The firebender closed his eyes and sat there for a long time, no doubt trying to digest the immense quantity of information she had just flung at him, all at once. And that wasn't even getting into the important details.

_If I was a Fire Nation soldier there, what would make me think we were in trouble? If I was just an ordinary person trying to live here, what would make me want to side with Xing over Okani?_

"Well," he said at length, slowly, "I guess we need to think of a way to reward people for helping us that's worth the risk."

"We do," Siensao said approvingly. "What else?"

"We need to prove that the Fire Nation can't make good on their promises or make them unable to do that."

"More good things to do. Keep going."

"We need the governor to become…the bad guy. Or at least…worse than us."

Siensao held up a hand, a satisfied smile on her face.

"_That_, right there. That's one of the most important things that has to happen. In order for the capital to be taken, the people must rise with us. We need to show them the ultimate lie of the governor's policies. Namely, that they've made the province safe and Xing remains an insignificant threat. More personally, we need to show them that even Governor Okani isn't safe from us, so he'll be replaced with someone who will enact harsher measures and thus drive the people to our side. I can't tell you the exact details of Xing's plans for breaking the safety net he's set up, but I can show you this. Xing's having copied distributed throughout the province and even sent one to the governor directly."

She handed him a small scroll. Kyuzo untied the string, unrolled it, and read.

_To Lord Governor Okani of House Akamatsu, Shaokai Province, Most Loyal and Honorable Servant of Fire Lord Ozai:_

_ You have said that I am no threat, that you have made the province safe from me, that I am a coward who will not dare face you._

_ I will carve those words on your tombstone as a warning to those who make boasts of power but lack substance. Soon enough, the world will see you for the liar you are. So for the short amount of time you have left, whenever you close your eyes or see something move in the shadows, remember this:_

_ I'm coming for you._

_General of the Third Rank Xing, 4th Battalion, Shaokai Province Regiment, Army of Ba Sing Se, General Who Guards the North_

Chilled, Kyuzo handed the scroll back.

"So, we're going to kill him after everyone in the whole province, including him, knows we're coming?"

"Oh, it would be a little easier, perhaps, to do it without warning, but Okani already takes his security so seriously that we're not losing much by the message. It was my idea, actually. Most people, especially commoners, need grand ideas and dramatic events to be inspired into action and there's not much more dramatic than carrying out a threat like this. It will dismay his soldiers more than anything else, as well. If he can't protect himself, how can he protect them? Battles are won in the mind and the heart before they're ever won on the battlefield. Once we arrive at the capital, I'll need your help in assessing the situation and thinking up good ways to win over the people to Xing's banner: you're Fire Nation, you'll catch things I might miss. Remember, if you have an idea that will save Fire Nation lives but still gets us what we need, that's what I'll recommend to Xing. You have your chance and I'm sure you'll do well with it."

"Yeah," Kyuzo said glumly. "I hope so."

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Siensao said, and one of Xing's soldiers entered, stood at attention, and saluted.

"Ma'am. The general requests the presence of you and your squad as soon as possible."

Siensao stood and returned the salute.

"Very good. We'll be along shortly. Thank you for informing me."

He nodded, turned, and hurried on his way. The merchant guessed he had a lot of similar messages to deliver. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Their time in Jukana, she suspected, was about to come to an end.

The way to the general's office was more crowded than usual, with people of all kinds coming and going: Soldiers in battle-scarred armor, warriors in fur and leather, messengers in Fire Nation clothes, even a few Tumen, grim and silent. Some of them looked sick, wounded, or just unnatural in some undefinable way, probably new recruits from the cursed village.

The five of them entered the cramped room and Jomei snapped to attention, followed closely by Zoukani and Siensao. Kyuzo was having trouble and Reki didn't bother. Xing returned their salute briefly from behind an enormous desk covered in stacks of papers. Messages, reports, maps, everything needed for waging war.

"At ease, Lieutenant, Siensao. I have your orders ready for your assignment. Siensao, I'm appointing you lead civilian liason to the resistance cell in the capital. As a civilian, you'll be outside the chain of command and authorized to give orders to anyone, pending the approval of the cell leader, that is. I've apprised him of the situation, he shouldn't be any trouble. You'll be able to get done what you need to. Lieutenant Jomei, you'll remain in command of your squad. You are Siensao's protection detail, first and foremost; you're to assist her in preparing the city for my arrival and the execution of our main objective, the death of the governor."

"You're going there yourself?" Kyuzo asked, unable to stop himself and earning sharp looks from many of those present. Xing only nodded.

"Of course. I believe I said as much in my letter to him, which should have reached you by now. You'll leave with Third Brigade's Second Company tomorrow. They'll be reinforcing the cell, as they have extensive experience in that area and I expect you'll have need of them to carry out your orders. That's all. If you have any business in Jukana, take care of it today. Any questions?"

He was met with silence, and nodded.

"Good. Dismissed."

As the five of them made their way back down the hallway, the door closing behind them, Jomei cuffed Kyuzo on the head.

"Nice going," he snapped. "Don't ask stupid questions in front of the guy who could have you killed if you piss him off! I thought you Fire Nation soldiers knew better!"

"Sorry," Kyuzo said, a nervous grin on his face. "I won't do it again, I promise. So, do you mind if I head off for the day? I have some things I'd like to do before we leave."

"Yeah, sure. I guess I'd better go and see Aariak," Jomei muttered. Then his glance strayed over to Reki. "But before that…"

"As you say," she answered. "Besides, I have something of an interest in your instruction in combat. We will speak and then go to Aariak."

"I suppose I must go and see Siku again," Siensao said reluctantly. While the aged shaman had said he would not deem her unworthy of continuing, she just wasn't sure that she'd learned enough about the philosophy of the Water Tribes. Instead she had just…had a good time working with people. Not that it was unpleasant, but…it made her feel guilty for enjoying it, however slightly. She had more important things to do.

"I'd like to talk to Nerrivek one last time," Kyuzo said, smiling at the thought. "She's really been a great help ever since…well…you know, the battle."

"I do know," Siensao said quietly. _You're lucky. My own initiation into bloodletting wasn't nearly as clean-cut._ "Take as long as you like."

"I'll see you later then," Jomei said with a nod. He and Reki moved off after Kyuzo.

The merchant turned to Zoukani, still at her side.

"You know, I don't think I've ever thanked you for all the work you do for me. Have I?"

He shook his head, but with a smile that said as clear as anything that thanks wasn't necessary.

"There are times when I wish you could talk, old friend," she murmured. "You're the one person in this world I can trust with everything if I fall. If I ordered you to take today off, would you?"

He shook his head gently. She sighed.

"No, I didn't think so. I wouldn't either, if our positions were reversed. I'll tell you what. After we visit Siku, until Reki and Jomei get back from Aariak's lessons, I'm going to take the day off. And if you happen to have anything you'd like to do, I'm open to suggestions. What do you think?"

The old soldier bowed low and she chuckled.

"I admit, I've always wondered: what does someone like you do for fun? Or me, for that matter? Perhaps we'll find out."

_On the day that the Blood Drinker came into being, storm spirits battled across the heavens and their sorrow brought forth a downpour and raging floods that scoured the sands bare. In time, a profusion of flowers would bloom and make the desert beautiful for a moment, but for now, there was only darkness, rain, and thunder, while the sands drank down not only water, but blood._

_ Reki's raiders had taken advantage of the storm to strike a camp of the Mahdi Tribe. The sand was soaking wet, next to impossible to bend properly, and in a fight between warriors, her advantage was all the greater. Drenched to the skin, her sword slippery and treacherous to hold, Reki tore into the defenders, slashing left and right, laughing wildly. Sheets of lightning leapt across the sky, illuminating the camp for a split second, then darkness fell as the thunder answered._

_ Ripping open a tent wall, Reki flung herself through, into a press of bodies that soon started screaming as steel parted flesh, and she saw her brother break through on the other side, both of them followed by more raiders. She ignored the women and children, cowering in the back, they were no threat. She wanted battle, combat, the deadly test of prowess and the thrill like no other that it brought._

_ Soon enough, it was over and she stood amidst the dead and the wailing of their soon-to-be captives, to be ransomed back to the rest of the Mahdi. She loved every moment of it. Everything that she had dreamed of, she had. Anything she wanted, she would have, one way or another. No one else would dare what she had just done. And if people whispered about her growing interest in causing pain, those whispers were not spoken to her face. That lesson had been learned the hard way._

_ Her warriors scattered, back into the storm to seek out any more warriors who resisted, herding the captives off with them and she was left alone with the dead. Eager and flush with victory, reveling in the glory that was her life, she made her first mistake. She raised her sword to her lips and ran her tongue along the reddened blade, tasting the familiar iron tang that she found it harder and harder to do without. Then she heard a gasp and looked up. One of her warriors had lingered just outside the tent, waiting for her to return to battle, and he stood there, staring. Reki froze, eyes widening, panic coursing through her like a cornered beast. Neither of them moved. Everything hung in the balance. Then she knew what she had to do._

_ She glared at him, a look that made the fiercest of warriors shiver, and slowly, deliberately, did it again. Her cheeks burned and part of her was screaming at her long-kept secret being thrust into the open, but only this, keeping the life she had won, mattered. Nothing else. Then she smiled at him, showing red-stained teeth._

_ "And just what are you looking at?" she demanded._

_ He found no answer, but turned and ran, back into the rain._

_ Later on, when her raiders gathered to leave, she knew they knew. There was a new kind of dominion now, fear tempered with respect. They knew. But nobody said anything. Not a single word. And she knew that everything would be all right. She turned to her brother, in the place of honor next to her, of course, with a warm smile. At last, they didn't have to worry anymore. It was an enormous weight off her heart. Then her hopes crashed down like the thunder outside._

_ He looked just as afraid and subtly repelled as everyone else. He didn't understand. He should have been happy! She looked away, sick at heart and wondering what she had done. But there was no turning back._

_ That night, he came to speak to her alone and nearly broke the spirit that had withstood a hundred trials with his words. He felt sorry for her. He was worried that she was becoming someone dark, someone twisted, and he was powerless to stop her. He never should have hidden the secret from their parents. He pleaded with her to stop, to change, to stay the sister he knew. But there was nothing to be done and he left downcast. After he was gone, Reki cried bitter tears for the death of something infinitely precious to her. It was the last time that she wept before her exile. But at the end, her sobs turned into shuddering, mad laughter and when she stood up, it was with a twisted sense of joy and a desire to see him suffer for what he had done. If they called her monster, she would live up to the name._

_ That night, she heard whispers that named her Reki the Blood Drinker, the demon of the Si Wong, and she smiled. It was terrifying to look upon._

"My parents and I hardly spoke two words to each other after that day," Reki said dully. "I avoided my brother completely and he did the same. After that, I was alone."

Jomei was torn. On one hand, he just wanted to reach out and put an arm around her shoulders. On the other, his stomach was turning at all this talk of blood drinking and inflicting creative pains on people. She talked in such a calm, matter-of-fact manner, though, which confused him even more. He'd seen her in battle, but she had never behaved as badly as she described and outside of it she was even less like the murderous madwoman she claimed to have been. He suspected it would all make sense once she finished the story, but for now, he just didn't get it. All he could do was act on the person she was now.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking down. "No one should be alone like that. I know what that's like. After I tried to escape in Teoro, that's how I felt. Alone among people I'd known all my life. And well…I'd never abandon Jura like this guy did to you. No matter what happened, there are some people you stick by no matter what and you try to help them."

"Perhaps, even then," she said softly, "he knew there was nothing he could have done that would change who I was becoming. He was a good man and did more than anyone else to try and save me. In the end, he succeeded. But that is a story for another time. His success, it seems, is not permanent. The Blood Drinker, all that madness, is still there." She tapped her head lightly. "And she will not be denied forever."

"Look," Jomei said, "I've heard about some people they call mind-healers in this city. What with Iron Hand's war, they have a lot of people that just crack under the pressure. Waterbenders can heal normal wounds, and some of them are supposed to be able to help with problems with people's minds. Maybe they could help you. It's worth looking into, at least."

"Let some person I've never met poke around in my head? No," Reki said firmly.

"It's not like they're reading your mind or anything, from what I hear they just try and set your brains to working right again," Jomei protested. "All your meditating and stuff hasn't helped, we've got to try everything possible! Aariak told me that his wife is one of these mind-healers and he's one of Siensao's friends from the lotus club."

"And if I end up even more broken then before, or worse, what then?" Reki asked sharply. "At least as I am, I know who I am, who I was, and what I must do. I would risk losing all of that."

"Well, if you wait, you said yourself that you're definitely going to lose all of that," Jomei pointed out. "Any cave in a snowstorm, right?

The swordswoman lowered her head with a sigh.

"Every so often, you utter what might be taken for logic, Jomei," she said grimly. "Very well. I will speak to this woman and hear what she has to say."

"Thanks," the miner answered, relieved. "I just hope it helps. Do you still want to come over and watch my lesson with Aariak?"

She nodded.

"Of course. You did as well as any new leader could have done on the mission, I am curious as to how your combat prowess is faring. You have yet to defeat me when we fight."

Jomei chuckled.

"Maybe if I live to be fifty, I will."

Siensao knocked on the door of Siku's house, more nervous than she'd been in a long time. Just about everything was riding on finishing the path and getting her meeting with the Senior Masters and this whole section's outcome rested with a man of doubtful wit. To her surprise, when Eska opened the door, she didn't snap or snarl at Siensao like a guardian wolf.

"I've been waiting for you," she said quietly. Her eyes looked red, as if from crying. "I need your help. Master Siku is in a bad way and I just don't know what to do anymore. Please, come in."

"What's happened?" the merchant asked as she stepped inside, Eska closing the door behind her. _Please don't let him be dying now!_

"We got a message from General Xing's people a little while ago," she answered, pressing her hands to her face for a moment with a sigh. "Looks like I got my wish. I wish I had never made it. Isn't that just how it always works? Now that he's declared martial law, Xing is ordering Siku to step down and me to step up in his place. He's also…that _bastard_ has ordered Siku to go with the others to that cursed village!" Her last words came pouring out in an angry rant that left her shaking with fury, but it spent itself quickly and then she was quiet again. "Ever since then, he's just been a mess and I can't get through to him. He knows me too well and there's nothing I can say, anyway." She looked Siensao in the eyes. "If there's anything you can do to help…well, I'm not a wealthy woman, but anything you want is yours."

"That won't be necessary," Siensao said gently. "I would be honored to help." They had reached the main chamber. The door to Siku's room was closed.

"Do you want to come in?" Siensao asked. Eska shook her head.

"I just…I can't stand seeing him like this," she said, struggling to hold back more tears. "He's been like a father to me and it's…well, it's…"

"I understand," Siensao said, raising her hand. "I'll take care of this." She opened the door and stepped inside.

The small room was stuffed full of a shaman's tools and treasures, everything that Siku had earned and gathered with his lifetime of serving the spirits. The elder shaman was slumped in a corner, on a bed of furs, staring into space. He looked over at her without interest or recognition.

"Master," Siensao said, kneeling down in front of him. "You summoned me here today. Do you remember?"

He shook his head and spoke in a voice that belonged to someone dying.

"Who are you?"

"Siensao Zhang Ai, of the Order of the White Lotus, your student on the path to the horizon for the last few weeks."

Something in her words roused the dying embers of his will and a faint light returned to his eyes. He nodded slowly.

"Ah, yes, I remember now. Another of the bright young people I keep thinking I can help. How are you today?"

"Quite well, Master, thank you," she answered. "As I feared, I must leave Jukana tomorrow and will not return for some time. I had hoped to conclude our lessons today, though I wish I could stay. I'm sure you have a great wealth of wisdom still to teach me."

Siku shook his head wearily.

"When did I start…losing things?" he asked. "I wish I could remember that, at least. When did my wits begin to leave me as I am? When was it that I became useless?"

"What gave you the impression that you're useless?" Siensao asked. "I greatly value the time I was able to spend with you, and you have trained an excellent apprentice."

"An apprentice whose name I can barely remember, even on my better days," he murmured. "I'm of the least use to worthy students such as you two. My mind is…going." He took a shuddering breath. "It's past time I faced that. Xing's order made me look at everything I've tried to ignore these last few years. I might as well leave."

"Xing can't make you leave," she said, annoyed at the general's lack of subtlety in his maneuvering. "You're the most powerful and respected shaman in Jukana. If you refuse, he can't make you."

Siku hung his head.

"He told me if I tried to fight him, he would see to it that Eska will be denied my place when I step down. The council has never liked the idea of a woman serving as the elder shaman of Jukana, they only tolerated the idea because there was no one else. Now that Xing has brought in spirit acolytes from that village, surely some of them will stay and even they would be preferred over her. I…I can't do that to her. He can make sure she gets what she deserves. She's deserved it for a long time, I was just too blind to see it."

_On the other hand, perhaps he's learning too well from me,_ Siensao mused. _That sounds like something I'd do._

"I'm sure this is a mistake," she insisted. "I'll speak to the general on your behalf tonight. He would never want you to leave."

Siku regarded her without hope.

"Perhaps you're right. It may be a mistake. But he cannot order my memory to return or my mind to mend. No matter if I leave or stay, I'm still the same foolish old man. Our healers cannot cure that."

"Is there no spirit that might intervene on your behalf?"

"Water is change," Siku said solemnly, "Water is life to death to life again, like icemelt in the spring. Water is also community, holding together as a people and a family against whatever comes. For me to ask such a gift for myself would be going against the flow of life and being selfish, such a gift would help only me, not my people, my family. No, I cannot and will not ask such a thing of the spirits. All that remains now is to consider what final gift I might offer Jukana."

"Final gift?" Siensao asked, not liking the sound of the term at all.

"There are some boons from the spirits that are so precious, they can be given only once, in exchange for the life of the shaman who asks for them. All that he is, all that he might ever be, is offered that his people might be better for the trade." The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "I have so little left to give, but if I wait much longer, I will have nothing."

"Master," Siensao said, an idea springing into her head, "would you take offense if I offered a suggestion?"

"Of course not."

"Then what about this; I could ask General Xing not to let you stay here…but to let you come with us to the capital."

The tide of Siku's will was rising and life began returning to his weathered features.

"What would I do there?"

"You could make your last gift to Jukana one of great hope," she said firmly. "In a short while, we intend to strike at the Fire Nation rule all across the north. Many people in the capital know and respect the Water Tribesmen who live on the northern coast, such as you. You could give them hope and aid them and us in our cause."

The hope dawning in Siku's eyes was a sight to behold.

"I hadn't even thought of that," he said. "I was thinking only of Jukana itself, being selfish again without knowing it. You're right. I could do more, much more." Joints creaked as he rose to his feet, stiff and awkward but the pall of death had lifted and he was once more the great man he used to be.

"I'll go to Xing tonight and ask this of him," he said, talking more to himself now. "Surely he won't refuse me such a request!"

"Actually," Siensao said, bringing his attention back to reality, "I had better do the talking. He probably won't want to let you go, but I think I can persuade him it's the best thing to do. I have a little leverage."

The shaman nodded.

"Yes, you're right, he is quite cautious most of the time. If you could do this for me, I and my family would be forever in your debt."

"I'll settle for being directed to the next teacher along the path," Siensao said. "I think I've learned your lessons well enough."

Siku laughed and the sound was like sunlight after rain. When at last he stopped, he became somewhat more serious.

"And what have you learned?"

"That the wisdom of the Water Tribes cannot be taught, it must be lived. Your wisdom is your way of life, a simple joy in a life well lived, treasuring friends and family, being a part of a community. Life is like a river. You can steer a boat along it, but the river decides where to go. Your wisdom is accepting that. Am I right?"

Siku was beaming, and bowed to her.

"As a master of the White Lotus," he said kindly, "I am proud to call you worthy to continue on the path."

"Thank you for the lesson," she said, returning the bow. "I think…I may have needed it."

"The wisdom of the Water Tribes cannot be taught, it must be lived. I have told you some of the stories of our people so that you might understand all the events that have brought us to our present way of life, and I have set you to living that life, along with our fellow tribesmen, to show you what we are like, the kind of people we are, the common wisdom we have to share. The lesson is simply to understand that taking a simple joy in life, having friends and loved ones to cherish, being part of a community that cares about one another, within all of that is the wisdom of the Water Tribe. No matter what trials you may go through, you may always hold to what you have learned here and depend upon it, just as water always stays together, changing to survive, but never breaking apart."

"Thank you for the lesson," Siensao said. "I…I think I may have needed it."

"The place where you are to go next is quite familiar to you, I'm sure."

"Ba Sing Se," she said quietly. _So, back at last into the city of beautiful lies and buried things. Will I ever come out again?_

"Yes. The person you are to meet is named Zhu Liang, an archivist at the university library."

"A name long known to me," she said. "I won't have any problem in finding her."

"Then I wish you luck. I will pray for you and your friends. You will surely need it."

For the first time since Jomei had met him, Aariak looked completely serious.

"I admit, I'd hoped you would stick around a bit longer," he said. "You show promise, but you can't master our style in a matter of weeks. If you're sure you can't stay longer, then you can't, of course, I understand. But I can't in good conscience say that you're ready to move on to the next part of the path just based on what you've learned so far. However…" Now the smile returned to his face. "I'll put you through what's ordinarily the final test I give to my students on the path. We'll fight, as before, but you cannot use earth of any kind that has not already been bent by your opponent. If you show enough skill and promise to practice the exercises I've shown you every day, I'll set you on the path to the horizon once again. Fair enough?"

Jomei nodded.

"More than fair. I'd have liked to stay longer myself."

"At this rate, by the time we are finished with this path, you will spend all day just practicing earthbending, having learned so much yet mastered nothing," Reki observed dryly. "I find fault with Siensao's methods here."

Aariak laughed.

"I wouldn't say that to her face, but you're right. Still, time isn't something we have a lot of, not with the way the war is going. It's no good if Jomei here masters earthbending but doesn't have a kingdom left to fight for."

"The thought has crossed my mind every day since I left home," Jomei said, frowning. "Let's get this test started."

The two earthbenders faced each other across the practice arena, with Reki watching from a corner, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed, eyes intent. Jomei gripped his hammer tightly, trying to watch Aariak's slightest movement. A sly smile was on the master's face as he twitched fingers, shifted his weight, and did his best to lead Jomei's thoughts off course while he planned his attack. He was taking this fight seriously. Jomei started to sweat as the moment stretched on and still Aariak did nothing. Part of his mind told him that this was another tactic, Aariak wanted him to attack, to break the rules, but he just wanted to do something, anything other than sit and wait!

"Blindsiding attack from the right flank," Reki said abruptly and Aariak groaned, chuckling to himself as he relaxed. Jomei jumped at her voice, but then let out a sigh, lowering his hammer. The tension was broken.

"Well, at least you'll have a good substitute teacher as far as reading people goes, but if you could let my student fend for himself, just for this fight, that would be nice," Aariak remarked.

"I apologize," Reki said, inclining her head. "It was reflex."

_Sure_, thought Jomei, _and I'm the Fire Lord. Thanks again, Reki._ The comment gave him a clue as to what Aariak might do, if he could predict what the other man would adjust his opening strategy to. And after sparring with him for a while, Jomei did have an idea. _Now that he knows I'll be watching for attacks from the side, it'll either be a head-on strike or something from behind. Everything about his style is about indirect strategies, so he thinks I'll brace for a strike from the rear. I don't have much experience in handling frontal attacks from him, so he'll try and surprise me by going against principle. Let's see if I'm right. I'm ready either way._

He raised his hammer again and Aariak resumed his little mind games, but this time Jomei wasn't paying attention. Only the twitch that turned into something counted, he knew that now. Aariak's little motions stilled and he nodded in approval.

Then he struck, ripping a huge chunk of earth free of the _ceiling_ right above Jomei's head, proving the miner's predictions both wrong at once. Jomei connected the sound over his head with a strike only in the nick of time and thrust his hammer upwards, shattering the boulder into pieces, most of which Aariak bent back towards himself, leaving Jomei with dust and pebbles. The miner ran forwards, bare feet slapping against stone, trying to close the distance.

Aariak brought the pieces of the boulder back around, melding them into a smaller stone, and flung it towards Jomei, who skidded to a halt and smashed it into powder with a hammerblow. Then he heard bending behind him again and whirled just in time to catch a falling stone slab, both hands braced against his hammer shaft. _Shit! Now I can't turn around and look at him!_

He couldn't beat the older man in a contest of strength, so he turned his will towards sensing all the cracks and fractures in the rock, even properly bent into place as it had been, then he drew back one hand and struck with a palm strike, right where most of them came together. The slab broke apart, crumbling into large pieces. Jomei was about to make use of them when they exploded into dust, nearly blinding him in the spray as a cloud rose up to engulf that part of the arena. He moved, getting out of there just as another boulder sailed by to impact somewhere he couldn't see. The miner thrust both hands downwards, trying to clear the dust from the air, and to his surprise, succeeded, revealing Aariak clad in stone armor, studded with spikes and holding sharp-edged stone knives in his hands, the curved kukris of the Water Tribe. The shipwright came at Jomei, knives out in front of him.

The first strike nearly finished him. Aariak thrust both hands towards Jomei and the knives shot towards him like one of Spike's icicles, one high, one low, and all the forward-facing spikes on his armor followed in a cloud of jagged stone. Jomei lowered his head, putting the steel hammerhead in front of his eyes, and took the hits, none of them making much of a scratch in his tough hide. But when he looked up again, Aariak was right there, another stone knife in his hand. Dropping his hammer, Jomei caught Aariak's arms as they swept down. With the armor on, he was heavier and bending it lent him strength. Jomei's hands scraped against the rough stone as he strained to hold back the knife, slowly sliding backwards along the ground. He had to get out of this or he was dead.

_Find the weakness…find the weakness and hit it!_

Jomei managed to raise one foot up in between them, planting it on Aariak's chest and _shoved_, in the _wind riding_ form, throwing that bit of the armor back: thanks to Aariak's firm grip on the rest of the stone, the shipwright went flying back with it, his form broken, slamming against the opposite wall with a great _boom!_ He fell to the ground, landing awkwardly, but stood up again, moving a little slower than before. Jomei charged in again, but the shipwright raised his arms and two stone walls shot up from the ground on either side of the miner, then flew towards each other. Without any earth to bend, Jomei only had one way out of this.

He swung his hammer at one of the walls, right where he sensed weakness, putting all his power into the strike. The wall burst into shards, but then the second wall caught him in the back, feet burning as he strained to halt the wall's motion, but he hadn't been braced and the arena wall was coming up fast. Then the wall came to a halt, just before death. Jomei sighed. _Well, I did my best, but damn! Fighting without stone of your own is hard._

Aariak approached, picking up the miner's hammer and offered it back to him, a broad smile back on his face.

"Congratulations, Jomei!" he said, "You did it! That was a great shot, a lucky one, mind you, but that was good thinking with the catapult kick!"

"Huh? I passed?" Jomei asked, a little confused. "Not that I'm complaining, of course, but how do you figure that?"

"Well, for a fight like this, I'd consider it a win for you if you could either distract or disable me long enough for you to either escape or get behind cover. You had plenty of time to do that when I was saying hi to the wall and the floor, so I'd say if you can't win a fight out there, at least you can live to fight another day, and that's what I was looking for. You're ready to move on, if you have to. The person to look for in Ba Sing Se is a man who goes by Xin. He works in the Middle Ring of the city. Your friend Siensao knows him already."

Jomei nodded with a smile.

"Thanks for everything," he said, bowing. "I'll stop by someday for a rematch if I'm in town."

Aariak laughed.

"Ha! Bring it on! You're welcome anytime." He did return the bow briefly and the two of them made their way back towards the door, where Reki waited.

"So, what's the lesson for handling that last form you used?" Jomei asked. "The two walls one?"

"That's the next lesson, concentrating on two things at once. In other words, multitasking. It's essential to our style, give your opponent more things he has to be aware of. If you'd broken the walls on both sides of you, I couldn't have caught you with either of them."

"Also," Reki said as they came up to her, "you lack agility and grace. When you cannot rely on your bending, your fighting style loses a great deal of effectiveness. If you had been more agile, you could have avoided Aariak's charge and held the advantage in the fight."

"That's one of our higher-level lessons," Aariak confirmed, nodding to the swordswoman. "It usually develops over time, but if you want to give him a crash course, go for it."

Jomei groaned.

"I won't have enough energy to fight the Fire Nation at this rate," he grumbled.

"But you will have enough to attend my lessons with Siensao," Reki told him in a tone that permitted no excuse. "As it happens, the Dance we are practicing focuses on such things. You will have to work hard to catch up, but it will help immensely in your fighting skill."

Jomei turned to Reki with a grin.

"When do we start, then?"

"After I see the mind-healer you mentioned," she said, looking grim. "I have failed, as you said. It is time I realized that and sought help from another." She hesitated, then added, "I would feel better about undergoing this treatment with someone I trust close by. If you are busy, though, I understand."

"It's nothing that can't wait," Jomei said firmly. "You've always been there for me. Now that it's my turn, there's no way I won't do the same. I'm ready to go."

Kyuzo sat, slumped forward, looking down at the empty waterbending practice arena, staring off into the distance. Working with Siensao was hard on the heart as well as the mind. He felt ashamed for being so patronizing of those who had to make hard choices while he refused and praised himself for it. Now he had to see the faces of people giving everything for a cause, to know what he might have to face himself one day. All his life, it had all been about him, ever since he could remember. He was always the one rambling on, not caring too much what others said, unless it was about him. Other soldiers might be friends, women might be welcome company, but he never thought of any of them as more important than his own welfare, his own desires. Jura had started to change that and Jukana had continued it. Now, at last, he looked at himself, the person he'd prized so highly, and didn't like what he saw. It was time to change that.

He'd prided himself on being able to take joy in little things to offset the bad things in life. Now, it was his task to bring that joy to others. To remind them that they were human and to remind others that they were human, since apparently he was the only one who either knew or cared in their little group. That's why he was here. And now that he knew that…he couldn't think of anything in his meager power that would make these soldiers' lives better. He could make jokes, but they'd fall on deaf ears. He could make fireworks, but he very much doubted exploding fire was much appreciated in these parts, even it had pretty colors. He could spar with them, but his skills were laughable compared to theirs and not in the way he wanted them to be.

"Kyuzo?" Spike asked, tapping him on the shoulder. He jumped, startled out of his thoughts.

"Oh, hi Spike. Just thinking."

"You asked me to stop by if I had the time." She shrugged. "I have a little time before I return to my company. We're moving out tomorrow." She sat down next to him. "What is it?"

"Well…the thought just occurred to me that you may not be the best person to ask about this," Kyuzo murmured, a wry grin on his face, "but since you're the only soldier here I know at all, I'm kind of out of options. I've been trying to think of some way to cheer up the soldiers just a little. Do you have any ideas?"

"Do you gamble?" she asked.

"Uh, sure, when I have the money," he answered. "And right now I'm pretty much broke. Siensao's paying for everything and I don't think she'd lend me any money."

"Are you any good?"

The firebender grinned.

"I walk away with more than I started with more often than not."

"Can you hold your liquor?"

"Ha! You haven't had wine until you've been to the Fire Nation. None of these bland Earth Kingdom wines, we take our liquor sweet, spicy, salty, and a dozen other ways, strong enough to fell a komodo rhino."

"Do you have good stories to tell?"

"Sure do…if they don't mind them being in the Fire Nation and all, of course."

"Can you listen and take heed of stories other people have to tell?"

Kyuzo hesitated, then nodded.

"If you'd asked me before, I'd have made some kind of joke and laughed the idea off," he said quietly. "But now…I'll do my best."

Spike nodded, satisfied.

"Go and gamble and drink with the soldiers down in the barracks," she said. "They'll lend you some money and never really bother to collect. Those who are still denying, in some small way, that we are demons, gather there to do both, and to trade stories, to laugh at each other, and to find happiness before they go back to the war. You were in the Fire Army for a short time, surely you saw this happen."

"Yeah, of course, I just thought…well, maybe I could bring them something more than what they usually do, maybe I could cheer them up in some way that nobody else had done before."

Spike shook her head.

"It's all been done before," she said. "You're new, you're different, you'll catch their interest and give them a few surprises. That's all you can do for now. If you find some way to make these people happy more than usual, you're cleverer than anyone I've met."

"Well, you hadn't met me before," Kyuzo couldn't help pointing out. "Maybe I am."

She didn't laugh, but stood up.

"If that was all, I need to be going."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks for the advice, I'll go and do what you said." _I just hope it's enough. Although…maybe what I need to bring them isn't laughter…maybe I can bring them hope, too._

Miki turned out to be a short, solidly built Water Tribe woman in her middle years, with a hard-nosed face, brown hair just starting to turn grey, wearing dark blue short-sleeved robes. When they arrived, she was ushering off her last patient, a Water Tribe warrior gingerly flexing his hand. She greeted Reki and Jomei with a quick bow, then got right down to business.

"My husband told me to expect you two," she said. "Reki and Jomei, right? Pleased to meet you. Reki, you're the one that wants to be examined?"

Reki nodded, steeling herself as if for the fight of her life, swallowing hard.

Miki gestured to the chair in the center of the healing hut.

"Have a seat, then, and I'll see what I can do. Jomei, stand somewhere out of the way, if you would."

The miner silently took up a post just next to the door, arms crossed. The chair Miki was using had thick leather straps to restrain whoever sat in it. Reki raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

"Most of the time, those who ask for their minds to be healed are running from whatever it is broke them," the healer said grimly. "They fight against having to remember what they've gone through and feeling now what they didn't then. One of my friends was nearly killed when we started doing these sessions. I'm not taking any chances."

"Wise," Reki said, and, handing over her sword to Jomei, sat down. Miki buckled the straps into place with the practiced efficiency of someone who'd done it many times before, then drew water from the urn behind her.

"Close your eyes and try to relax," she said. "This will feel strange." She brought the water close around the sides and back of Reki's head, her fingers settling into position, then the healer closed her own eyes and the rippling water lit up, shining an eerie blue-white with healing energy. Miki's face wrinkled in concentration while Reki appeared confused. The waterbender was muttering to herself in a steady stream, under her breath.

"…fractured right along all the memory lines, focused around that one particular bit, with the fractures spreading downwards towards…"

Reki felt a soothing presence at the corners of her mind, probing its limits, looking for a place to enter, and the fiery ache in the back of her head intensified, fighting it and spreading outwards. She clenched her teeth and said nothing.

Jomei didn't understand any of what was going on, but soon enough, Miki gave a nod and withdrew the water. Reki opened her eyes.

Miki shook her head.

"I've never seen a case as bad as this. I make it a habit not to ask what brings my patients to this stage, but whatever it is that brought you here, it was bad and time has only made it worse. Your chi pathways are so broken and twisted that your energy is battling itself. The battle is so intense that the pathways about your mind are slowly shattering it in the process. Normally, my patients have simply closed off part of themselves. What you have is a mind that is fighting itself. To safely heal you, if I can, I would need weeks, if not months, to gradually bring your energy back into balance. Since you say you cannot stay, all I can safely do is try to stabilize the situation until you reach another healer who knows how to help."

"What can you do that is not safe?" Reki asked quietly.

Miki sighed.

"Warriors." The word was made a curse. "You take so little care with your lives, both on and off the battlefield. What I can do is try to resolve the situation by forcibly straightening out the pathways, putting them back in touch with your whole mind, both sides of it. But the mind is a delicate thing and if I handle yours too roughly, I might break it completely. It's very fragile right now. I would say you have no more than a half-chance of it working. If I fail, I would destroy your mind completely."

Reki nodded.

"The quick fix, then," she said. _As I thought. But even if the other way was certain of success, I would not take it. I am not…ready for that confrontation. Not yet. Not here. Not now._

Miki brought the water back around and it lit up once again. This time the waterbender was concentrating fiercely.

The throbbing ache in Reki's head was far worse than before and a slight hiss of pain escaped her. The cool tide of Miki's efforts was pushing in, forcing change upon her, straightening chi pathways and making her remember things she had locked away for so long, more than that, making her feel what she had done, what she felt like as she did it. Miki stopped short of a certain point, confining her efforts just before Reki felt like her head would burst from the pressure. Then the waterbender tried to pry loose a particularly stubborn pathway and for a second, Reki's world went dark.

Jomei watched Reki twitching on the chair, her teeth clenched, and he was sweating, shifting his weight as he stood there, silently willing her to be strong. Then she relaxed for a moment, her eyes opened, and she looked over at him. She was smiling. The vilest demon would kill for a smile like that and he flinched back. She winked at him. All of Reki's bloody stories came to life in that one moment.

"Blood Drinker…" he whispered.

Before anything else could happen, Reki closed her eyes again, leaning back, losing her smile. Then Miki pulled away, bending the water back into the urn. The healer let out a tired sigh.

"Well, I've done what I can. How do you feel?"

"Better," Reki said, "and worse. But I will last a while longer." She felt more alive than before, and remembered more, but with those memories came crushing despair and more of the Blood Drinker's madness and her mind struggled to take it all in.

"Good. I certainly hope you find another healer, because the condition will only regress if you don't."

"I will do my best," she said. "Jomei? Is something wrong?"

"I'll tell you later," the miner said, just wanting to forget that gleeful smile. "If we're done here, then we probably should get going. Thanks, Miki. Sorry to run out on you like this. We owe you. A lot."

"Just don't die and waste my work," the waterbender said sternly. "That's all the payment

I need. Jukana has seen enough death."

Jomei felt like a fool again as he tried to follow Siensao's motions as they practiced what the desert warrior called the Dance of the Crescent Moon. Reki stood in front of them, a wooden practice sword in one hand that she made good use of.

_Thwap!_

"Weight _off_ the left foot! Completely!"

_Thwap!_

"Bend your ankles _and_ your back!"

_Thwap!_

"Keep your legs _level_ as they swing around!" And so on. Holding his hammer with one hand was difficult, but not at all the hardest thing to do, thanks to the stone that now encased its head and haft, and the Dance could be adapted easily to a two-handed style. All the contortions and balancing would take some serious practice, but that didn't dishearten him. What was annoying was the firebender next to him doing much better at the form.

Kyuzo took to balancing acts like a turtle-duck to water and even worse, seemed to be enjoying it.

_Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!_

"Stop leaving openings! You would be dead three times over by now if you were in a real fight!" And so on.

"Why are you so good at this, Fire Nation?" he grumbled as they were resting between forms. "Does Fire Army training include dancing lessons or something?"

"No, but it does include fighting on top of a floating platform, so you'll be able to battle effectively at sea," Kyuzo answered. "I was just about the best at that part and I did pretty well at fighting on top of narrow platforms, too. Since I couldn't really stand up to anyone in a fair fight, I just sort of tried to focus on what I was good at, like avoiding them."

"I did learn to dance when I was younger," Siensao said with a smile. "It's all about control over one's body. As I recall, control is something you still have trouble with, Jomei. Think of it as an extension of those lessons."

"You will have cause to make use of that training soon, Kyuzo," Reki said. "In our next battle, we will be fighting in narrow streets and hallways, confined spaces. This Dance is essential to such fighting. When you have little space available, you must make use of it in such ways as those we are practicing."

"Feh. Those kinds of places are good for death by earthbending," Jomei said with a grin.

"Yeah, I'd kind of figured that," Kyuzo mumbled, going pale as he remembered Xing crushing that body in front of him.

"Not when the hallways are plated with iron sheets," Siensao said quietly and Jomei grew solemn. "The only earth you'll have is what you take with you. So practice Aariak's lessons well and learn how to fight firebenders on their terms. But that will only happen at the very end. Until then, we will be fighting indirectly. Reki, what are your thoughts on that?"

"They have not changed from when I spoke to you in Sekana Village," the swordswoman answered. "Honor can be regained, but the dead cannot be returned to life. If the question is honor or survival, or even honor or victory, I will choose survival and victory every time. The Dance of the Crescent Moon is a good way to see how students will adapt to fighting based on something indirect. Jomei, you are the worst so far. You flow into attacks when you should flow around them. But you are getting better at reading your enemy's intentions. In this fight, you will do well at guessing how our enemies, trained soldiers, will act, but think about your response carefully."

The miner nodded grimly. It was going to be a test of will, to see the Fire Nation and not act, but it was one he had to pass or it meant all their deaths.

"Kyuzo, you show promise, but you guess wrong about attacks as often as you guess right and are too quick to respond to them. In this fight, you will do well at knowing the minds of the Fire Nation citizens, but not those of the Earth Kingdom, and must guard against only seeing the surface of water without testing its depths."

Kyuzo nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah, I know, I get too jumpy. I just don't want to die."

"Siensao, you are my best student in this Dance thus far, but you have flaws as well. You wait too long in responding to attacks while you strive to understand your opponent in all possible ways and when you do respond, you shy away from the killing stroke sometimes. You must guard against becoming lost in details and focus more on the fight and not when lies beyond it, such as live prisoners."

Siensao bowed her head, showing no irritation.

"It is as you say, master. I assure you, I was merely practicing my non-lethal techniques. In a real fight, if I am hard pressed, I will kill first and search for survivors later."

"Good." Reki looked over her students with a strange feeling, a faint sense of the pride she had lost long ago. "You have killed, you have fought in battles, you have tasted the bitterness of war in a small way. Now we are to enter the most brutal campaign imaginable, a place where all the world is turned against us. To stay alive, remember this if you remember nothing else: Trust no one completely, not even yourself. Even you may be unwittingly serving the enemy in your actions. And at the end of the day, it is not the winners that will remake the world, but the survivors."

Siensao found Xing still behind his desk, as if he hadn't moved a muscle since they'd left earlier. The weariness in his movements and the hollows under his eyes betrayed the illusion, however

"What is it?" he asked Siensao shortly.

"I'd like you to keep Siku here in Jukana," she said. "I agree that it's past time Eska took over, but sending him away is ill-advised."

"He isn't necessary to have around anymore," Xing answered coldly. "But more importantly, he's leverage over Eska, but only so long as he's somewhere I can reach him but she can't. Sending him to that cursed village serves two functions at once. Why would I keep him here?"

"Because if you send him away, Eska will go with him and you'll thereby lose the two benefits you just mentioned. Also, Eska won't be shy about protesting such treatment on behalf of her master and those already set against you would leap at the chance to use her." She paused and shrugged for effect. "It would be a pity if you finally quieted them with martial law, only to have the whole of Jukana rise up for the sake of an esteemed shaman and his virtuous successor. On the other hand, if you send an apology and say that you've changed your mind, Siku and Eska will know that you have good people working for you and that you can be generous occasionally, thus, you will have their support."

"You mean _you_ will have their support," Xing noted. "I can't afford to look weak to anyone, least of all a senile old man and his nursemaid. How will it look to have my my soldiers and the people of Jukana if you can change my mind as you will?"

"Not commanded, merely persuaded. 'Hard must be the heart of the lord who is as a stone wall before his people, oh yet how worthy is the lord who can bend that wall for virtue's sake and yet not break,'" she quoted, having long ago assessed Xing's taste in philosophy. "I'd like you to let him come with us to the capital. I'll make good use of him and it still gets him out of your way. And if you're still worried about leverage over Eska, your support is the only thing that ensures her holding the post she wants and we both know that."

Xing shook his head.

"This is about denying you a proper rank, isn't it? You're much more valuable to me outside the chain of command and you know that."

She nodded, her own voice turning as cold as his.

"I do. But on the last mission, at least, I was ill-used. Jomei's plan worked, but it destroyed most of the supplies we might have carried off and killed most of the prisoners he wanted to rescue, not to mention losing us most of the intelligence I'd hoped to gain. So yes, you may consider this a gentle reminder that I do not appreciate being misused. I trust in the future, we will have no such issues."

Xing sighed.

"I expect by the time this is over, I won't know whether to pin a medal on you or have you executed for treason."

"Why not both?"

"Why not, indeed? Very well, take the damn shaman. Go ahead and let him know. Put a spin on it as you described. Now get the hell out of my office before I change my mind. You're still leaving at dawn tomorrow."

**Omake:**

[The scene opens on a dirty, cluttered office with a slowly spinning ceiling fan and windows that look out onto a narrow street, where it's raining heavily. A middle-aged man sits behind the desk, a glass of liquor in his hand, with a bored look on his face. Soulful jazz music plays softly in the background.]

Xing [narrating]: I hate the rain. Makes me all…sentimental. It makes me see the train wreck that is my life and the hellhole that is my city for what they are. Sometimes I wonder that I ever crawl out of a bottle in spring. Well, my life's my own fault, more or less, but I chose this place. Jingzao…the kind of city where the rat-vipers in the sewers go armed and the police get invited to the triad bosses' birthday parties. Jingzao…my city. Of all the places I'd rather be, it's dead last on the list. And I chose it. Why, you ask? Cold comfort, I guess. I could be somewhere else, I say to myself on all these rainy days, but I chose to be here, in my personal hell, because it's what I know best. Because I can do the most good here. Yeah…maybe one day I'll even believe it.

It was a typical spring day when it all began. I was sitting in my office, wondering if this month would be the month I'd have to put on the badge to pay the rent and join the rest of the thugs down at police headquarters. Then…_she_ walked in.

[A woman enters the office and Xing sits up, putting his glass down.]

Xing [continuing to narrate]: She was the kind of looker like a miniature Sozin's Comet, with jet black hair that would put a gang boss's heart to shame, legs that might reach all the way up to the Northern Air Temple, and when she moved, it wasn't just poetry that was in motion, if you get me. The clothes she was wearing were fairly plain, which is probably why she made it to my office still wearing them, given the part of town I lived in, but they showed off enough that I felt the need of sun-shades.

"Siensao Zhang Ai," I said, staring like a landed fish. The first time this woman came into my life, years ago, was when it all went to hell, when I lost everything. General Iron Hand, they used to call me, before she showed up. She was just as beautiful then, and a whole lot of trouble besides.

Siensao: "Detective Xing. May I sit down?"

Xing: [Is he _still_ narrating?]: Her voice was low and sultry, the kind of voice that could make a simple 'good night' sound like an intimate invitation. I sighed. I should've just asked her to leave then. She ruined me and whatever she wanted from me now, it couldn't be good. But I couldn't hate her. It just wasn't in me. Like it or not, I was doomed to spiral around like a leaf on the wind, falling into whatever stupid scheme she had in mind.

"What do you want, Siensao?" I asked, my voice full of dull resentment. "If you've come to finish the job you started all those years ago, you're a little late."

Siensao: [Actually, this narrating business looks fun. Let me try.]: I watched a dozen different emotions flicker over those mournful features. He couldn't know how deeply I regretted what had happened, or that it hadn't been what I wanted. Everything had just seemed to happen, with me looking on, unable to stop it. He wouldn't believe me if I told him the truth. But he would help me, just as he knew I'd have helped him. Damn that pride of his. Stubborn, foolish pride. Wars have been fought over less. Then again, one might call our brief, eventful relationship a war.

"I need your help," I said. "I need the best detective in the world."

Xing: [I think this is where I get off before I catch this narration plague]: I shook my head with a bitter chuckle and poured another drink.

"All these years without a word, after everything that happened, and suddenly you need my help? I can't do anything for you. I can't even help myself out of this dump." I gestured to the decaying building around us. Oh, I didn't think it would still hurt after so long, but damn, that woman knew how to find the sweet spots in my memories. What a woman! Such a shame. It was all happening again, just like before.

Siensao: "The reason being because you're one man against one of the worst cities in the world. And yet, everyone I've asked has recommended you, first and foremost. Not many people come to you because they're playing the game you won't and they go to the gangs or the police. But the people who believe in more than a city run by gold come to you and more often than not, you get the job done, no matter who gets in your way. You're exactly the kind of man I need."

Xing: I listened to hear so casually sum up my slogging about this shit heap of a city in the pursuit of a goal I'd never reach and it touched something inside that I'd thought was dead and buried. Some people say a man can change. Fools and dreamers, all of them. I'd never really moved on from being General Iron Hand, just like she'd never moved on from being who she was. All we could do was play our parts in what was to come.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked, and I saw her face soften. I'd sell my soul for the smile she gave me just then and tell them to keep the change. You could keep warm through a northern winter on one of those.

Siensao: "Thank you. I'm on the trail of that new revolutionary group, the Equalists. They've been campaigning in Ba Sing Se for a while now, and yet, most of their supplies and technology isn't coming from within the city, it's being shipped in from outside. I've tracked it this far, but I don't know this city and the trail has dried up. I need your help to find it again."

Xing: I heaved myself up from my desk and put on my hat.

"I'll need some cash up front for expenses," I said, tucking a toothpick into the corner of my mouth. "Come back in a couple days and I'll have something for you."

Siensao: "I'm not coming with you?"

Xing: Such a tease, just like I remembered.

"I've been on my own for a while now. A little longer won't make any difference. If I need your help, I'll let you know."

That day would probably come sooner than later. The group she mentioned, the Equalists, they were warming up for a war with the triads in Jingzao and they were getting to be some seriously heavy hitters who didn't care much for how the underworld worked here. Under other circumstances, we might have gotten along well. Guess I shouldn't have been born an earthbender. Even the spirits had it in for me. Iron Hand, they used to call me. Maybe they will again once I'm through here.


	25. Whispers in the Streets

**A/N:** We are coming up fast on the end of the Jukana Arc and getting closer to our next brush with canon in Ba Sing Se. Thanks as always to Sylcavoer's awe-inspiring beta work. I'll tell you one difficult thing about Eastern-based fanfiction is coming up with appropriate names. To a western ear like mine, many of them sound the same and more than once I've accidentally named a character after someone else who was already in the story and realized my mistake later. Anyway, thanks to all readers, new and old. If there's anything you really like, let me know and I'll see what I can do about including more of it. If there's something you really hate, let me know and if I think you've got a point, I'll see about improving it. Unless you were meant to hate it, of course. That's what the review button is for. But in any case, enjoy the show.

* * *

In a land of scattered mountain villages and lonely forts huddled upon rocky slopes, the Fire Nation stood strong behind the walls of Jingzao. Grey iron plates made the high walls shimmer in the light rain falling upon the city in the warm summer night, and Fire Nation soldiers in black and red walked the shining streets and stood atop the walls. An army could not enter here. Yet the city was under siege from within, where all the power and might of the Fire Nation could do little.

Lord Governor Takeo looked out the window of his office, in the tallest tower of the governor's palace and commanding a spectacular view of the valley when the weather was clear. Now, all he saw was a dark city, a place of shadows and unrest. A callused hand reached over to close the shutters.

"You should be more careful, my lord." The voice was soft, low, and slightly slurred, enough that the slurring was what most people would recall. Its owner was hidden behind a porcelain mask, intricately painted in grey, black, and deep blue, and wore green Earth Kingdom clothes. "All it would take is one good archer and Shaokai would lose its governor."

"I doubt even the Yu Yan could make a shot a hundred and fifty feet up in this weather," Takeo answered. But he did not open the shutter again. "Could you do that, Yukari?"

"They could," she answered. "I would have even odds at best, my talent is not with the bow, but it is best to err on the side of caution regarding the enemy's strength."

Takeo disliked even looking at the woman. Her existence frightened him, as it frightened every official in the city. That he should wield such a weapon, even temporarily, had him on edge. He had to be very careful about how he used it. The ruler of Shaokai Province was not accustomed to treading so lightly. Tall and proud, with angular, hawk-like features, he was pleasing to the eye, and it was his daring that had won him his post.

The creak of a door opening and the heavy footfalls of steel-toed boots announced the arrival of General Nazaki. Called No-Dachi Nazaki by his soldiers for the immense sword he carried around with him, the general carried smoldering anger about him like a dark cloud over his head. He had no talent for quelling insurrections, only making war, and hated his assignment in Shaokai Province. But his hot blood had gotten him into trouble and this was his punishment. It seemed like punishment for Takeo as well.

"All right, I'm here," he snapped. "Now tell me what's so urgent that you call me here without any notice in the dead of night!" He sat down at his place at the governor's long table, down the short steps from where his desk rested. The other officials there did their best to ignore him.

"Now that you're here, general, we can begin," Takeo answered, walking over to take his seat at the head of the table. Yukari took up her place at his right shoulder and it took effort not to look up at her. He scanned the familiar faces gathered here. Nazaki, fierce and bushy-haired as a platypus-bear. Lord Mayor Minamo, young and worried, rubbing his hands together. Min Lang, Shaokai Minister of Commerce, stiff and proper, occasionally adjusting the pins in her thin white hair. Kurimoto, Shaokai Minister of Intelligence, smug and smirking, fingers intertwined. And Ma Chao, Chief Steward, matter-of-fact and patient, still pointedly wearing red and gold, along with Fire Nation jewelry, in defiance of his ancestors. Not the people he would have picked to run a province like Shaokai, but they were here and he had to work with them.

"I've called you here at this hour, without notice, because the situation is so bad that I don't want our enemies to know we're in conference and strike while we're busy talking," he began, with a pointed glance in Nazaki's direction. The general at least had the decency to lower his eyes and accept the rebuke in silence. "It's been one month since the situation began worsening in this city. One month. It took years to conquer Shaokai and in the year and a half I have been governor here, I have never seen nor heard of such backsliding. I will not be known as the man who took one month to lose this province again. The Fire Lord himself has graced us with a new ally in our time of need." He nodded towards Yukari, who bowed formally. He didn't miss the glare that Nazaki sent towards the woman. He had not taken kindly to her ordering his people around.

"I trust that _all_ of you will do everything in your power to see that she is brought up to speed on the situation and will extend her every courtesy and assistance."

Nazaki pretended he'd been studying the wood paneling on the wall behind Yukari.

Takeo sighed. "As I said before, the trouble started approximately a month ago, here in the capital. I had just departed on a tour of inspection in the south of the province, to oversee the settling in of the latest group of colonists," the governor said. "However, Lord Mayor Minamo was present and is best-suited to explain the turn of events."

"The first sign of trouble was posters, leaflets, and graffiti here in Jingzao," Minamo said, thinking back to when it all began, when things had been going so well. "In particular, we received a…letter from Xing, a foolish challenge and denouncement of the Lord Governor. I mean, honestly, he even warned us he means to kill the Lord Governor himself, what kind of fool does that?"

Kurimoto produced a paper from his sleeve with a deft flick of his wrist and held it out towards Yukari.

"This is the letter in question," he said smoothly. His smile was oily enough to supply the Fire Navy for a year. Yukari stepped over and plucked it out of his hand without a word, swiftly reading through it. There was the briefest flash of disappointment on his face.

"What, spymaster, you can't just pass the damn thing down the way?" Nazaki muttered aside to him.

"Forgive me for showing proper courtesy," Kurimoto replied, rolling his eyes.

"Um, so, yes," Minamo continued, dutifully ignoring the murmurs, "At any rate, I had no wish to bother the Lord Governor on his inspection over such minor issues."

"In other words, you were afraid he'd actually do something about it?" Ma Chao said. "That doesn't sound like loyalty to me. When you have a problem that includes a threat against someone's life, they're involved whether they like it or not. I told him he ought to have sent it to you, my lord, he didn't listen."

"There's no point in discussing it again!" Minamo hissed at the steward. "And what would you know about loyalty? You've never had any!"

"I've told you this before, words and actions are completely different. I said what had to be said and did what had to be done."

"Kindly contain yourself, sir," Min Lang broke in coldly. "And if the governor is displeased, accept your fate with dignity. You are delaying this meeting." Under the glare of the elderly accountant, Ma Chao flinched and shut his mouth.

"Thank you, Minister," Takeo said. His words were quite heartfelt. _The same damn argument ever since I got here. Agni, I wish they'd find something new to argue about._ "Lord Mayor, please continue."

"Of course, my lord," Minamo said. "So, some minor issues had arisen. As propaganda is Kurimoto's responsibility, I tasked him with handling it." He nodded to the intelligence minister.

Kurimoto returned the nod and spoke up.

"I immediately ordered the production of our own posters and leaflets, and requested that General Nazaki's men on patrol paint over or burn off the graffiti, and post lookouts on the rooftops to catch them in the act," he said. "The rebels then made propaganda that looked like our own, but its messages were far more brutal and spoke of cruel laws and edicts that we planned to enforce to stop the rebels. I had it all contained as quickly as possible, and announcements made as to its falsehood, but there were whispers that General Nazaki had acted rashly and had to be restrained, and naturally, the people began to wonder if we truly meant to do what the posters claimed at some point. And then our efforts to prevent further graffiti came under attack – they started targeting our lookouts, spitefully blinding them with ice spikes and the like. We put soldiers on the ground to protect them, but that merely let those scum know where our lookouts were and where they were not, so the graffiti problem continued. Still, such things remained minor problems."

"And so naturally you assumed they'd stay minor," Nazaki growled. "And took no decisive action, which was surely what the Lord Mayor wanted."

"Then he should have done it himself. I did what I thought best."

"You dare speak that way in front of your lord!"

"You do it all the time, a hypocrite and a raging berserker shouldn't presume to lecture me. Min Lang, be a dear and talk to this man for me, will you?"

"Your every word heaps more dishonor on your greasy little head-"

"Enough!" Takeo's voice boomed out, leaving silence in its wake. "You have told us what happened, that's enough. In the future, speak only about what is relevant to this meeting or I'll have the guards throw out everyone involved. Now, Minamo, keep going."

"Our next problem concerned the laws governing rewards for those that help us against the rebels and punishments for those who aid them," Minamo continued wearily, "The rebels began staging false flag operations that had us paying rewards to and punishing the wrong people, despite our procedures for checking the accuracy of such reports. Financial matters are Min Lang's department."

The elderly accountant's voice was high and cool.

"As the Lord Governor, before his departure, commanded me not to halt the payments, no matter what," she said with faint disapproval, "I instituted a new reward, much larger than all others, for the identity of those who took part in the rebel operations regarding the system of reward and punishment. Using their ill-gotten gains, the rebels topped the offer twice and got citizens of known loyalty until now to accuse innocents. Though we let them go after treating their wounds, afterwards few people trusted us enough to claim the reward. Then the fake posters appeared again, Minister Kurimoto contained them again, and the people's suspicion deepened further. If I had offered any more gold for rewards, we might as well have been paying the rebels out of the treasury directly, and hardly anyone was coming to us with information anymore, so I halted all payments."

"Funny, isn't that what the Lord Governor ordered you not to do?" Ma Chao whispered, unable to resist. He was starting to sweat.

"It was never the amount of money that was important, it was the trust of the people," Takeo said sternly. "What you did confirmed their bad opinions of us, which is why I gave the order in the first place! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"You were not here," Min Lang told him, not batting an eyelash. "A general in the field is not constrained by orders from home if they go against his judgment. It is foolish to simply maintain policies, there must always be adaptation and change, such is the nature of trade."

"This province is not just an investment!" Takeo snarled. "And what we do here is not trading! The only reason for halting the rewards should be that no one was making use of the system anymore, not the cost. Once order is restored here, I will expect the rewards to be reinstated, though at a reduced level."

She looked disgusted, but bowed her head.

"As you command, my lord. To continue, I was uncertain how to regain trust with our citizens through our coffers, thus, I turned to Minister Kurimoto's informants and General Nazaki's soldiers to encourage their efforts to arrest the _correct_ people."

"Our spies did their best, but the resistance has always been very careful in keeping sensitive information out of the hands of those members we could locate," Kurimoto said. "The identities of leaders are kept secret, orders are given mostly by message or messengers. But our people worked diligently at remaining hidden while gaining the rebel leaders' trust. I decided to use one of them to locate a rebel meeting to raid in the hopes of finding someone of importance to interrogate. That raid was successful, and though the person in question did yield important information, which I'll get to in a moment, soon afterwards, the rebels used stolen uniforms to stage fake raids, causing a great deal of destruction and injury among the civilian populace. As a result, the commoners lost faith in us, they demanded justice and recompense and began harassing the patrols. That pushed some of Nazaki's men too far and their retaliation inflamed the people even further, particularly when he refused to have anyone punished for what they had done."

Nazaki crossed his arms.

"My men were attacked and they defended themselves, as well they should have, and I will not punish them for it. I have nothing to be ashamed of."

"What happened next, that you should be ashamed of," Ma Chao put in. "I said that was a bad idea, too, and he just up and took my earthbenders without even asking anyone."

"I was obeying the command of the Lord Mayor and you know it! Besides, I was acting on faulty intelligence! Kurimoto's spies failed me!"

The intelligence minister shrugged.

"Not all of them, we were bound to get a few bad tips."

"A few bad tips resulted in a few big buildings being demolished and many of my men getting killed!"

"You recall that important information I mentioned?" Kurimoto said to Yukari, ignoring the enraged general, "We found out the location of some of the fixed entrances into those deep tunnels the rebels have dug under the streets. Some were traps, but some were not."

"I immediately sent companies to all the locations," Nazaki growled, scowling at the memory. "As expected, the rebels didn't have time to move them all and we discovered more than a few of the rats' nests. My men secured what entry points we found and stormed the tunnels – we had every reason to believe we'd find the main hideout somewhere underground, according to Kurimoto. But, then the rebels channeled the river into their own tunnels. The general paused, shuddering as he thought of the horrible, cold, dark death of those tunnels.

Takeo, recalling the man's service during the thousand-day siege of Ba Sing Se and tales of what happened during failed attempts to breach those mighty walls, remained silent, allowing Nazaki to collect himself.

The general straightened, his voice rough with fury. "Our loyal earthbenders were able to save most of my men, but at the cost of more destruction to the streets and buildings above. I doubt very many of those bastards drowned in their own tunnels. Without waterbenders, that maze is next to impossible to conquer. Even a full sweep of every building in the city would probably just wind up uncovering flooded shafts, if anything."

Ma Chao spoke up again.

"I sent my builders to repair the damage without regards for the cost and had extra food brought up from the south to make amends," he said. "But somehow, don't ask me how, the rebels swapped some of the good rice with moldy rice and I was unable to get many people to accept the offerings. What should I have done?"

"If the Lord Mayor was bolder, he should have executed you as an example and given the people blood instead of excuses," Nazaki answered.

"I happen to agree with the Lord Mayor this time," Kurimoto remarked. "That would have been too excessive."

"But a lower ranking quartermaster under his command," Takeo said, "that would have been acceptable and that is what you should have done. No one would have mourned the death of another turncoat. That's enough out of all of you. I was here for the rest of this mess. It was about this time, three weeks later, that I returned. I had been delayed a week longer than I had expected, dealing with rebel uprisings and assassination attempts in the wake of that idiotic letter Xing plastered on every wall in the province. We killed many rebels and swiftly restored order. However, the rebels saw to it that I did not have communication with the capital. Our runners were ambushed and our messenger hawks were shot down, at great cost to the rebels, at least. That they would go so far is a good thing." He looked around the table, seeing who understood the import of his statement. Minamo looked hesitant, but Kurimoto and Min Lang seemed to have caught his drift. Nazaki could barely restrain his annoyance at the governor stating the very obvious, but Ma Chao was at sea. "They are focused on Jingzao, that we know. If they fail here, Xing will be reduced to a screeching little monkey demon who can only mock us."

He sighed.

"And so the people are on the verge of open revolt at this chaos and our perceived cruelty. The best solution has always been to eliminate the rebel leaders, particularly this Whisper. But none of our spies are positioned in high enough places and those tunnels are deathtraps for a raiding force. We need some way to lure Whisper out into the city, into the open, or someone capable of finding and killing him or her. Yukari, what are your thoughts, now that you know the basics of our situation?"

The assassin bowed low. When she spoke, it drew everyone's attention

"No matter how many of the rabble they sway to their side, six thousand soldiers and the fortifications here cannot be overcome with strength of arms alone. As the Lord Governor and General Nazaki are aware, knowing our mobilization plans in the event of full-scale rebellion would give them a great advantage. The three of us have set an ambush at Shan Ling fortress to capture their raiding party," she explained for the benefit of the rest of the council. "We're expecting a messenger hawk as soon as the rebels are in custody."

As if her words became real, one of the red-and-black birds flew in, alighting on the perch meant for it. Still, no one spoke as Yukari walked over and retrieved the little scroll from the leather tube on its back, reading.

The porcelain mask tilted. "They escaped," she said. "Barely. If I had been there, they would not have, but I felt it more important to attend this meeting. As to your situation, my lord, I will find and kill their leaders at once. Minister Kurimoto has been most helpful and thorough."

"Any casualties?" Nazaki demanded. "Was any appreciable damage done to the fortress?"

"Not even any injuries. Minor earthbending damage to the courtyard," she answered, which mollified the general somewhat. "Now then, Kurimoto, if you would explain our plans?"

The man in question beamed with pride and bowed gracefully to the assassin.

"Since we clearly have traitors among our ranks," he said, "I have been compiling a list of unexplained absences of everyone here in the palace, their nature, and their frequency. I've found a few low-ranking spies, but it's only tonight that I've gotten a few people who have been persistently absent, without witnesses to what they claimed to be doing, on an irregular but frequent enough schedule to warrant interest. With only three people to interrogate and a Selfless Warrior to assist in the task, I'm confident that we'll soon get the information we need for the Lady Yukari to eliminate their leaders in one fell swoop."

"And if that fails?" Nazaki growled. "What then? We need a backup plan, something to lure their leaders out into the open."

"Smoke them out," Yukari said with a shrug. "All their tunnels need air vents. Find an entrance, and instead of trying to fight through the tunnels, fill them with smoke, and have the people alerted to watch for unusual smoke plumes anywhere in the city, then follow them and drop more smoke bombs down the vents. Soon enough, they'll be unable to breathe and forced to get to the surface, where they'll be easy to spot, having been exposed to all that smoke and emerging, presumably, from hidden entrances. But that will have to wait until Kurimoto knows the locations of enough tunnel entrances to be sure most of them are not traps. That won't be until after the uprising. That is the backup plan. Does it meet with your approval, General?"

Nazaki nodded reluctantly, glowering.

"Very well," he said gruffly. "It seems fine to me."

"Then this meeting is adjourned," Takeo said, standing up. "I'll expect to hear the results of your search first thing tomorrow morning."

Yukari bowed low, a little smile hidden behind her mark.

"As you command, my lord." _And you, Siensao, will run from me no longer. If you aren't Whisper, you're with the rebels and will appear when their leaders fall. This is where it ends._

* * *

In the new secret sub-basement below the Wei Family Teahouse, across town from the palace, right next to the river, another meeting took place. Siensao sat at the head of a low stone table, surveying the heart and soul of the resistance.

Captain Wu Dai, leader of the reinforcements Xing had sent with them to Jingzao and now commander of all the soldiers and warriors in the city, a brutal man skilled in spreading fear. Haneul, a monk from one of the monasteries scattered across the mountains, the former leader of the resistance here. He preferred nonviolent methods but did not hesitate to use lethal force when required. The Fire Nation had burned his monastery and the survivors had sought refuge with Xing, who accepted them on the condition that at least one of them fight for him. Haneul had volunteered. Yanagi, a cook who worked in one of the Fire Nation mess halls, who spoke for the few Fire Nation men that valued gold, or in rare cases, ideals over their country. And Kyuzo, still sitting at her left side, while Zoukani remained at her right, as her guards. Siku was absent, as he usually was, the elderly shaman communing with the local water spirits most of the time in preparation for his great sacrifice.

"I know some of you will be missed if you aren't back in the morning, so I'll make this as brief as I can," she said. "But the next week is critical. We need to keep our momentum going and give it as big a push as we can before Xing's arrival. I need to know our situation and what we're ready to do, and any new ideas you have. Captain, we'll start with you."

Wu Dai nodded, bringing his eyes up from her chest for once.

"Recruiting is up again," he said. "Most of them are still beggars or thieves, of course, people with the least to lose, but now we're getting some respectable citizens. I wouldn't trust them to stand their ground against real soldiers without us at their backs, but they're responding well to training. They'll be ready to kill, if not to die, when you give the word. I've organized them into units based on neighborhood, as you instructed, but given them commanders from our ranks. We haven't been able to practice on the Fire Nation patrols like we used to, six is too many for them at a time. If you'd let us kill them, things would be different, of course." He shot a glare towards Kyuzo, who flinched, but made an effort to straighten up and look taller.

"Of course," she said calmly. "But we won't. Will we?"

"No, ma'am," Wu Dai muttered.

"Any more benders to be found?" she asked. He nodded.

"We have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel, three of them were children smart to hide what they were and only two of those might be useful to us. As for those old enough, we have two more earthbenders and one waterbender. The earthbenders are women again, go figure, and the most use you'll get out of them is to make the Fire Nation too fat to fight. The waterbender is a teenager. He might be useful."

"Well, put the women in training with the others anyway and see if they have any aptitude," Siensao said. "Some of the rice cakes I've had in this city could kill a man." There were a few little smiles, but nobody laughed.

"Anything else, Captain?" she asked, feigning a yawn and stretching mightily, knowing full well where his gaze would fall. That made him chuckle.

"Nothing of note, ma'am. Not in my department."

"Very well. Haneul, how are things with your people?"

The monk had flat grey eyes and a calm, thoughtful voice.

"The city seethes with rage," he said quietly, "and my people feed that anger, making promises of vengeance and justice but warning them to wait. They will not wait very long, but they will wait until the end of the week. We found two more Fire Nation spies but await your instruction on how to deal with them this time."

"With Xing's arrival so close, it's time to clean house," she replied. "Kill them both, along with all the others we've found. Work with Captain Wu Dai to find a suitable way to use the bodies. I'll expect your masterpiece on this one, Captain…yes, Kyuzo, you have something to say?"

Kyuzo, though he was pale green and visibly trying not to be sick, had raised a hand high.

"Uh, yes, I do. Uh, ma'am. I'm thinking instead of killing them, we could send them back to the governor's palace with some kind of ironic punishment for being spies."

"Like their tongues cut out for speaking our secrets, or maybe blinded for seeing too much, or their ears cut off for listening where they shouldn't be?" Wu Dai suggested helpfully, snickering at how Kyuzo's green color grew deeper.

"Uh, no, sir. Maybe if we burned or carved something into their foreheads? Something insulting? Like, 'Screams Like A Girl,' or something?"

"Or maybe, 'Piss Here,'" Wu Dai mused. He shrugged. "Up to you, ma'am. That'll work too, so long as we can throw in some maiming or battering at least. A little mutilation. And I'll need at least ten bodies for the display."

Siensao looked to Kyuzo, who swallowed hard and nodded, feeling each person's death like a hit from Jomei's warhammer. _Ten people I just killed. But more that I saved…sort of. This is what I wanted. It's enough. It has to be._

"Ten bodies it is, then," she said.

Wu Dai nodded, eyes bright with eagerness.

"You'll have my masterwork, ma'am!"

"Good. Go on, Haneul."

The monk inclined his head and continued.

"We have added the phrase 'The River Waits No Longer' to the paintings on the streets," he said, "And changed 'The Black River Rises' to 'The Black River Floods.' The local syndicates have finally given their tentative support to our efforts, dependent upon if our success seems likely. They bring with them fighters and benders and offer these lists of Fire Nation officials on their payrolls as a token of their esteem. I have marked which officials are on both lists. Construction on our hideouts and tunnels proceeds apace. I would like to use some of Captain Wu Dai's waterbenders to help us make them more extensive than originally planned, if that accords with your will."

"It does," Siensao said. "In exchange, Haneul, please give the Captain access to those merchant shops, we're running low on gold again. Leave some notes to be redeemed once we have enough to pay them back."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Anything else?"

"No, ma'am."

"Good. Yanagi, go ahead."

The potbellied cook nodded and cleared his throat noisily.

"We want assurances that we'll be spared if everything goes pear-shaped," he said in a high-pitched, raspy voice. "How are you planning to do that? You can't exactly tell the people, hey, go nuts on everybody who's Fire Nation except these guys."

"We'll have people in place to make sure you get out safely," Siensao said. "We'll introduce you to one of them, but we can't reveal specifics of those plans too early."

"Okay, but I'm just saying, that might not be enough to reassure everybody. Next, we've just got word that the governor brought someone back with him that the whole palace is scared of. Some masked woman…well, they think it's a woman, it's hard to tell. One of the governor's guards overheard the words 'Selfless Warrior.' That must mean something to the military types, but us common folk have no idea what." He was looking pointedly at Kyuzo as he said that, whose jaw had fallen open. The firebender was starting to shiver.

"Hey, buddy, don't go pissing yourself down here, we'd never get the smell out, huh?" Yasagi said, reaching over to poke him in the arm. It got Kyuzo's attention and got him under control, at least enough to start talking.

"Uh, the officers and higher-ranking soldiers knew more than us, but we heard stories," he stammered hesitantly. "When Fire Lord Ozai was still a prince, it was his idea. The academy I mean. The Academy of the Selfless Warrior. He'd take ordinary people, almost kids, really that did really well on their tests and do…I don't know, something to them, like years of…training of some kind, but whatever he did, the idea was meant to drive into their heads that they're completely selfless and only serve the nation. Basically, only really high-ranking military or government types can order them around, and most of them are usually helping on the front lines or keeping the occupied territories stable, and there aren't a lot of them because of…well, casualties during training. I heard…well, that doesn't matter, but they operate alone because it only takes one of them to accomplish whatever task they're given, whether it's killing someone or spying on someone, or whatever. They're…well, they're legendary among the Fire Nation and the colonies, people tell stories about them, things to scare kids into behaving. A lot of people don't really believe they're real. But they are, and if one of them's here…well, we're as good as dead unless we stop them. But you won't find me going up against him…or her. No way."

"She has excellent taste in poisons, at least," Siensao said casually. Everyone turned to stare at her. Her eyebrows went up.

"Hm? Oh, I was talking about the Selfless Warrior who's working for the governor. She tried to kill me back at Arvaikhir, a little fort on the northern coast, first by poison and then by the sword."

Kyuzo gaped.

"And you're still alive? But that's…"

"Impossible?" she finished his sentence. "_Nothing_ is impossible, given enough time, effort, preparation, and a little luck. I survived and escaped. So, if her first, best effort didn't kill me, I don't think her second best is going to do any better. I already have a plan for dealing with her, I just didn't know where she was. And now I know. But if anyone encounters her, take my advice and run as fast as you can. She's an earthbender, by the way, so don't run straight to our tunnels. Is there anything else, Yanagi?"

The cook shook his head, bringing his mind back to the present.

"Nothing urgent, no, just business as usual."

"Good. Then we're only waiting on the word from the fortress raid tonight. We should be getting results just about now."

Even as she spoke, they heard footsteps outside the doorway and Jomei entered, followed by Reki and Spike, the three of them making the small room crowded. They all looked tired and battered and they were empty-handed.

"What happened?" Siensao demanded.

Jomei's face was grim.

"They knew we were coming."

_Jomei crept through the courtyard of Shan Ling, looking for the rope up that their contact had promised to give them a way into the main keep. Timing was critical on a mission like this and Siensao's plans didn't always work. Then Reki tapped him on the shoulder._

_ "Wait," she whispered, and he heard the faint rasp as she drew her sword. "Something's not right."_

_ "What is it?" Jomei hissed, looking around. He saw Fire Nation soldiers on patrol, but none near them and they were out of view of the watchfires up on the walls. Everything seemed normal._

_ "It feels wrong," she answered. "We are in danger. Spike, do you see anything? Is anyone watching us?"_

_ The sniper shook her head._

_ "No one I can see. But I think you're right. Wait, there's the rope!" She pointed towards a length of blackened rope hanging down from the battlements, nearly invisible in the darkness._

_ "So, what, do we scrub the mission because we don't like the way it looks?" Jomei asked, his Tumen cap damp with sweat. "I don't think Siensao's going to take that as an excuse."_

_ "When you have been in many battles, you develop a sense for danger," Reki said. "That is why I am still alive. I will accept responsibility for this, but we must go, now."_

_ Jomei swore._

_ "No you won't, I'm ranking officer, I'll take the blame. Come on, let's get out of here."_

_ But even as they turned to leave, the ground before them erupted into a massive dust cloud. Every sentry in sight shouted warnings and alarm bells rang and rang as the watch fires flared up and the soldiers on the ground came running. Jomei saw some of the dark earth dissolving into sand and he knew._

_ "Karida!" he shouted as if the name was a curse, "Don't you know the meaning of the words 'Fuck Off?'"_

_ "I'm just here for the Blood Drinker!" was the taunting reply as the sandbender emerged from the dust, hands raised. "Step aside and I'll let you live."_

_ "Come on," Jomei shouted to Reki and Spike. "Climb aboard!"_

_ He brought his hammer down and threw up another dust cloud around them. Karida flung her hands down and cleared the air, but by that time, the two women were on his back. He grit his teeth, shoved as hard as he dared, and the three of them went sailing skyward, the sandbender's frustrated screams following them…and getting louder? He glanced behind to see her hurtling after them, having used sand to fling herself after them. Spike drew water from her pouches and threw an ice spike, but Karida broke it with a stiff-hand strike._

_ They hit the ground hard, Jomei letting out a grunt of pain at taking the weight of two other people, and Karida wasted no time in dissolving more earth into sand to fuel her bending._

_ Seeing flares of light out of the corner of his eye, Jomei turned just in time to throw up an earth wall against a fire blast. The firebenders on the wall were shooting at them, ready for any attempt to jump over the wall where they'd be helpless in the air, and those on the ground were coming up fast._

_ "Reki, any suggestions?" he asked, searching for a way out of this._

_ "Thank Kyuzo when you see him next," she said, lighting the fuse on a bomb and lobbing it up into the air. Realizing what it was just in the nick of time, he clamped his eyes shut. A second later, even through closed eyelids, he saw a blinding white flash and when he opened them, all the firebenders and soldiers looking at them were rubbing their eyes. Karida alone, being closest, had closed her eyes in time and sent a torrent of sand towards them. Spike drew out every last drop of water from her pouches, throwing a shield in front of them. The wet sand quickly overwhelmed and absorbed it, but it stole enough force that they survived, and the next moment, the three of them were back in the air, flying up and over the outer wall._

"They ambushed us before we even got close to the stuff you wanted," Jomei said. "Karida was there, too, why I have no idea but as long as Reki is in the city, she won't leave. We barely got out of there. Do we have a traitor?"

"No," Siensao said darkly. "They anticipated this move. It could be simple bad luck, or perhaps our local Selfless Warrior is already taking action. In any event, we must make her elimination a matter of top priority, along with Karida. If it's a fight she wants, that's what she'll get. This meeting is adjourned. I need some time to think."

The resistance leaders left in disarray, certain only that when their boss was this mad, someone was going to die and they were glad it wasn't them.

As Jomei headed back towards the patch of stone that was his bed, Kyuzo accosted him.

"Hey, uh, we still need to think of something to take out the garrison. Didn't Siensao say she wanted an idea by tomorrow?"

The miner groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. _Shit, I forgot about that. Bones of the earth spirits, I'm tired. Ah, well, I'll sleep when I'm dead._

"Yeah, she did," he grumbled. "Come on, let's think it over some more." He paused. "Oh, and uh…thanks for the flashbang. It really helped."

Kyuzo shrugged.

"You're welcome. It was nothing special, really."

The two of them walked down the short hallway to a little stone door. Jomei bent it open, they stepped inside, and he bent it shut again. An air vent in the ceiling let in damp, cold, and foul-smelling air from somewhere around the river and a few scarred stools surrounded a stone table. The two men took seats, Jomei leaning back against the wall and Kyuzo leaning forward, resting his chin on his hands.

"Okay," the earthbender said wearily, "One more time. Where do we stand, Fire Nation?"

"We need to find a way to make six thousand soldiers run away, with as few deaths as possible," the firebender answered.

Jomei snorted.

"I'd say with as many deaths as possible, it'll be less trouble later. If only they'd be so kind as to just march outside the city walls for us and make it easy. We can't possibly kill them all in the night, or poison their food, or dig an enormous pit under the governor's palace. We can't just drop one of these mountains on their heads and the river is too far from the palace to shift its course and flush them out. I've got nothing. Maybe you could set up a fireworks show and we'll just run around killing them while they're looking at all the pretty colors?"

Kyuzo's eyes lit up.

"Wait! I've got it! How tall and thick would you say the walls around the palace and main barracks are?"

Jomei considered. "I'd say about fifty feet high, at least ten feet thick at the base, even where they merge with the city walls. They're iron-plated on the front, the plates are only about one inch thick at most."

"The river might be too far away normally, but once Xing gets here, he's bringing a lot more earthbenders and waterbenders, right?"

"Yeah," Jomei said cautiously.

"What if we raised stone walls along the streets, leading right to those walls and used our waterbenders to channel the entire river through them? The walls would hold in all the water and there's no way they could demolish them. We'd flood them out and as they tried to get to higher ground, they'd pack themselves in so tight in the palace that they'd become targets, or if they tried to escape over the walls, they'd need to climb down a rope or something for fifty feet and be easy to capture."

"What? You want to send the whole godsdamn _river_ through the middle of the city?!" Jomei snapped, his mind boggling at the sheer number of things that could go wrong. "If just one earthbender holding up those walls is taken out, we'd soak half the city and fail miserably! The soldiers up in Shan Ling will send down soldiers to kill our guys at the river and those throwing-engines on the walls do turn around to face the city. If you think the Fire Nation won't start pounding the shit out of the city to keep it, you're crazy! The patrols in the streets just need to form up, punch through the rabble we've got, and bust through the walls in one place! And I think somehow the five thousand soldiers inside the palace walls would be able to get together enough firepower to boil a river away! Not to mention they could just open the gates and they wouldn't even get their feet wet!"

"Not if we break the mechanisms that open it before they get the chance. We just need to get our timing perfect."

"Oh, well, that just leaves the thousand and one other things I mentioned! What about them?"

Kyuzo shrugged, chuckling nervously.

"Hey, I'm not really that good at making ideas work, I just think of them. You and Reki and Siensao are the ones who make things practical. I mean, I don't have any other ideas unless you've got a couple Earth Army battalions you're not telling me about."

The miner sighed, putting his face in one hand.

"No, I don't have any other ideas," he said. "That doesn't mean this is a good one. I'll run it by Siensao and Reki in the morning and maybe we can make it work. If we can pull this off, it'll be a miracle. Go and get some sleep. I'll think about this a little more."

* * *

That night, in the back of a butcher shop, Wu Dai was humming happily to himself as he worked at one of his requested bodies with a carving knife, getting his display ready. He could already see the picture in his head. The dead spies would be found in a gift-wrapped box in front of a Fire Nation restaurant. The note on the front would read, '_Love and kisses, Captain Wu Dai and the Shaokai Resistance. Just harvested our monthly crop of spies and knew you'd have a use for them._' He and his two assistants, engrossed in their work, failed to see the dark figure creeping towards them.

The first sign they were under attack was when a blackened sword came swinging out of the darkness and took off one of his assistants' heads, sending blood spraying everywhere. Wu Dai snatched up his favorite cleaver, turning to face their attacker, a young woman, masked, wearing black.

"Run!" he shouted to the other man, who sprinted for the door. The woman raised a hand and a wall of stone shot up, cutting him off. Wu Dai bared his teeth. _So they sent that Selfless Warrior after me? We'll see just how good she is._

He thrust both hands forward and a small forest of sharp stone stakes shot out of the floor in a circle around her, thrusting inwards. She sank into the ground an instant before they all smashed together, breaking each other to bits. As Wu Dai glanced around, wondering if he dared try and break through the wall to escape, she punched back up through the ground right in front of that wall, hands already raised.

She punched downwards twice, faster than he could react, and he found himself buried up to his neck. He strained to break free, to impale her from all sides, to do something, but to his surprise and fear, for the first time in his life, a woman was stronger than he was! He went pale. _This…this is what one of these freaks is like! Shit! That Fire Nation kid was right!_ He watched, marshaling all his courage as she casually stomped a foot and put his stakes back into the ground. His assistant was shivering in the corner, he wouldn't be of much help.

She raised his arm up out of the ground enough to pry his cleaver loose, examining the nicked, worn blade and the row of notches in the handle.

"The Butcher of Jingzao," she said. "Xing was wise to break you out of prison before your execution. No one made this city more afraid than you in the last twenty years. But giving you such authority was a bad idea. You'll tell me everything I want to know."

Wu Dai laughed.

"Kill me! I don't care! Hack me into bloody bits! What a fitting end for me, eh? No matter what you do, I'll be a legend in Jingzao for years to come." He spat at her feet. "That's all you'll get from me, bitch."

She ignored his tirade, setting the cleaver down on the table, and approached the remaining assistant, who looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes.

"Look her in the eye, kid," Wu Dai said solemnly. "Don't give her anything. I know you can be brave."

A moment later, he heard the sound of steel parting flesh and the assassin came back into view, meticulously cleaning her sword.

"I have a question to ask you, Captain. If you answer in a satisfactory manner, I will let you go. If not, you are coming with me. Why do you deserve to live?"

"What?! What's that supposed to mean?" Wu Dai asked, confused.

"Answer the question," she said.

He snorted.

"I deserve to live because I'm strong! Why else? I've killed anyone who thought differently."

"But now I'm stronger, so clearly you don't deserve to live. Wrong answer. Come, Captain, we have some questions to ask you."

* * *

As the twilight sky cleared of clouds and a faint light grew in the east, Kyuzo, wearing an apron, sat cross-legged on a high stool and focused on fire. He was down in the kitchens, an hour before most of the other resistance members got up, and the cooking fires under the pots they were using flared slightly with each breath he took. Despite his weariness, there was a big smile on his face. _Giving people hope is much easier after they've had something good to eat._ Before he got here, the food was terrible, just plain rice day after day most of the time, or whatever else the resistance could afford. Now, with Siensao's schemes raking in funds, and his own tireless pursuit of the idea, they finally ate well. It made them happy and him happy. And today he was trying something new again.

Spike, looking rather comical in an apron, was standing next to him, diligently waterbending today's soup about. The culinary techniques of waterbenders were as old as bending, but it was a rare sight these days, what with the war's demands on every waking moment. Even so, Siensao was sparing with giving waterbenders time off for it. But a little went a long way. They appreciated the break from their regular duties. Kyuzo's firebending added yet another dimension to the culinary arts and he was trying to think of a way to put earthbending into the mix. Then the unthinkable happened. Spike spoke up, derailing his train of thought.

"You've been in the meetings with Siensao and the others," she said, still looking at her work. "You've had to sentence some to death in order to save others. Hard choices to make. Does it still hurt?"

Kyuzo nodded, and the fires he was maintaining dimmed a fraction. Just mentioning those choices made his heart ache.

"Yeah," he said quietly, "Very much. I'm glad of it. It means I'm still human, right?"

She nodded.

"It does. How long can you go on that way? How much more will it hurt before you just want it to stop?"

"As long as it takes," he said. "Yes, it hurts, but I've saved more people than I've killed since I began. That isn't something a lot of soldiers can say and I'm proud of it."

"Once you leave, things will go back to the way they were," Spike noted. "None of your changes will last. People will die again. You don't think that makes all your efforts meaningless?"

The firebender smiled at her and the cooking fires flared a little brighter. That was another thing he was slowly noticing. Whenever he recalled his purpose to mind, his bending improved. Anger and rage powered firebending, so his teachers had said. Well, maybe it was his anger against the war and the people it made, but for whatever reason, he was getting better, the more he thought about what he had promised to do and what he had already done.

"Never," he said. "I don't concern myself with yesterday or tomorrow. What I'm doing here, now, that's what matters. That's all I can control and I'll do it as best I can. I'll leave the long term to Siensao."

"You trust her to maintain your ideals after you're gone?"

"I know she understands that if I ever find out she isn't acting on my advice, things will go badly. I make and use explosives for a living, I can be quite a bit of trouble. I have…ways of checking on what she's doing. But trust is something you have in someone or something because there's nothing to back it up. I trust Siensao to do her best about passing on my ideas because I believe in her and myself."

Spike shook her head.

"And if trust gets you killed?"

Kyuzo shrugged cheerfully.

"Then it gets me killed. But it's one of those things that keeps me human and I'd rather be betrayed by a friend than destroyed by an enemy. I keep smiling because if I don't laugh, I'll cry, and the most important thing that keeps me human is hope."

Spike's expression gave away nothing, but her hands paused a moment before continuing her work.

"Hope is to be avoided at all costs. It is the most dangerous thing to have in this war. You should abandon it at once."

"Why?" Kyuzo asked simply.

"When it is taken from you, when it is crushed, it will destroy you," she answered.

"If that was going to happen, it would have back on the mission near Jukana," he said. "I had my chance. And I said no. And since you're still here, so did you, whenever that happened. But there's still some life in those ashes. Am I right?"

"As I said, it is too dangerous to have," she said. "You do us no good by trying to give it back when we aren't ready."

"That won't stop me trying. Because one day, maybe, just maybe, I'll do just that. Nothing was ever accomplished by those who said 'It can't be done.' I dare to dream."

Spike looked towards him.

"You are mad."

He nodded, grinning broadly.

"Oh yeah, I certainly am. Or perhaps I'm not crazy, I'm sane in a crazy world. I'm not really sure. But either way, I'm sure to have fun."

The waterbender went back to her work and said nothing more.

"Hey, Spike," Kyuzo said.

"Yes?"

"You going to show me a smile today?"

"No."

"Well, tomorrow, then." It was always tomorrow that it would happen, though tomorrow never came. But he had faith it would.

* * *

As the day dawned bright and sunny, Jomei faced his enemy yet again and for once, did not reach out to the earth under his feet. He stood between two stone walls, the space narrow enough that it brushed his shoulders on either side, hammer raised. Reki faced him, practice sword in hand. She moved first, jabbing at him in a series of quick thrusts. He batted them aside with his hammer, moving awkwardly in the confined space and steadily retreating before Reki's speed. Finally, he managed to catch the sword blade on the hammer haft and shove forward, making use of his greater strength and the sword's length in the narrow space. But then she put all her strength into resisting for just a moment and he pushed back so that his arms were at their full extension. Then she ducked under the hammer and came up with a punch, the first two fingers extended, that stopped short of his eye. He sighed and lowered his hammer.

"A firebender could just incinerate me in a place like this."

"Only if he was alone and you were foolish enough to confront him in the middle of such a hallway instead of at the end," she answered. "You will rarely be so fortunate as to face a single enemy in any event."

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you for a while now, how did you manage to hold off all those guys back at that outpost up north?" Jomei asked. "The Fire Army is usually pretty good at teamwork and there were quite a few of them there."

Reki considered a moment, then lowered her sword.

"Learn this: A warrior with their back to a wall can kill twice as many enemies because their attention is focused only ahead. A warrior who only has to worry about enemy warriors and not benders that are too far away to strike need only focus on the enemies right in front of them. But most important is sensing the presence and thoughts of the enemy, what they are thinking, who is afraid and who is not. Most often, it is not a matter of, say, fighting four people, but three people helping one person who is trying to kill you. Kill him, and the rest will lose heart. Battle ebbs and flows around such determined warriors. Also, I was not alone. Kyuzo shielded me from firebending attacks and his bombs deterred them from crushing me underfoot in a mass charge. After I began killing them, none of them could command enough weaker men to do so, because I had already won the battle against their wills. Combine all of this, and one warrior such as myself can kill two dozen lesser enemies. It is not a matter of skill, as some think. It is also a matter of perception, belief, and presence on the part of the enemy.

She paused. "Having the terrain in your favor always helps."

Jomei nodded, amazed at how casually she described the way she had stood victorious over an entire company of the Fire Army.

"You make it sound so simple," he murmured.

"War is work," she said. "It is only a matter of practice and becoming accustomed to it. Speaking of that…how are you faring at this new kind of war?"

Jomei nodded grimly.

"I'm doing okay. It gets to me, though…doing this kind of stuff to my own people. I was like them once, you know, before the Fire Nation came to Teoro. I know how they feel."

"How do they feel?" Reki asked, sounding unusually curious. "I have been a warrior all my life. I know it takes a great deal to make people fight who are not warriors. I know how to deal with them and fight them. But I do not truly understand why they are as they are, why they do what they do. Tell me, Jomei, what is it that lives in the spirit of those who fear battle?"

"The last time an Earth Kingdom army came through Teoro," the miner said quietly, "was when the lord of Dao Mai Province, that's the lands to the south of the mountains where Teoro is, rebelled against the King of Omashu, hundreds of years ago. I don't know exactly what happened, it's just a story the elders told us, but since holding Sky's Edge Pass was really important, Omashu sent a lot of soldiers ahead to secure it while they waited for the rest of the army to catch up. The village went through a lot. The soldiers took everything of value that we didn't hide in the name of the King, beat up a lot of people when we tried to stop them, and they…mistreated some women. Their commander had a couple people executed, but it didn't change what had happened. Then the actual battle took place. The rebels got as far as the village walls and they just handed everyone spears or swords and threw them into the fight to buy more time. A lot of us didn't make it back. And then it was over…and they left, just like that. They didn't pay for anything, they didn't apologize, and they did it all because they could."

"Wouldn't this drive your people to work hard and train in the way of the warrior?" Reki asked. "Then they would be able to defend themselves and their goods."

Jomei shook his head with a bitter chuckle.

"No. We didn't want to become like them. But it's more than that. Not everyone can be a warrior or else people wouldn't have anything to eat, or metal to make tools, or all kinds of things. I didn't work the mines because I wanted to, though I'm proud of doing it, I was down there because I knew it had to be done as long as I was living there, because that was what we did, that's how we earned our lives and kept the world going. People like that think warriors are too proud, that if they had to live like a miner or farmer or craftsman, they'd starve because they couldn't do the work. The only thing soldiers are good for is killing. Now, with the war, of course, a lot of people are willing to put up with that, but it hasn't changed the nature of warriors, and people like the villagers of Teoro still don't like them and they don't want to turn into them, so they don't fight if they don't have to. They just want to be safe and go on with their lives. Who's in charge doesn't matter so long as they're left alone, that's how it's been for the entire history of the Earth Kingdom. They have a hard time seeing that the Fire Nation is different until it's too late. That's what they think. That's what I used to think."

"And now?" Reki asked softly. "How do you feel about doing what you do here, knowing what they feel?"

"They have to understand that the Fire Nation isn't the same as some other king or emperor or Earth Kingdom lord!" Jomei burst out angrily. "They aren't going to leave these people alone as soon as they're finished conquering the world, they'll come back and come down hard on them! Earthbender round-ups, cultural laws, Fire Nation thieves come here to steal the land from people who have lived there for thousands of years, it's going to happen sooner or later if they don't fight! They have to know the truth! They have to fight with us or we're all done for! They…they have to." He looked down. "I…I never felt like a bad person until now. I'm becoming Siensao, screwing around with people's lives because I think I know better than them what needs to be done. "

"I doubt she feels guilty over all of this," Reki noted.

"That isn't even the worst part," Jomei said. "The worst part is that I'd do it all over again, because there's no other way we can win this one. We need the people on our side and this is the only way to get them in the time we have left, or at least the only one I can see. I'll be glad when this is done and we can leave. I never want to do this again."

"You remember what I told you back in Jukana" Reki said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Victory or honor. You may have one or the other. You have chosen victory. Now you must live with that choice. And life may offer a chance to regain the honor we have lost here."

"What's this?" Jomei asked with a little smile. "Are you considering living after all?"

"Never that," she answered. Jomei's smile vanished. "If there was a way to be Reki and not the Blood Drinker…I might consider it, as I also said earlier. There is not. But you must live, no matter what. You are not beyond hope. That is one thing that Kyuzo is correct about."

The earthbender nodded, feeling a little weight lift off his shoulders.

"Thanks for listening. Reki…how are you doing? I know this kind of stuff is bad for you."

"Miki did good work," she said. "I can hold her back a while longer. This type of war is not as bad as the blood feuds and raids among the desert tribes. This is war with purpose beyond itself, at least."

"Good," Jomei said, relieved. "We'll be leaving soon enough, after we've retaken the capital anyway. They say you can find anything in Ba Sing Se, surely there must be people who can heal minds."

"That is not a good thing," Reki said. "The city finds a way to corrupt everything. I do not know if we could trust any such healer we found there."

He shrugged, trying to play the optimist.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. It's Siensao's home, she must know someone."

"That is also not a good thing," Reki murmured. "I suspect she knows many people, few of them good." To that, the earthbender had no answer.

Just then, a young boy, a messenger and casual spy for the resistance, came running up to them.

"Hey, Whisper wants to see both of you right away," he gasped. "Something bad's happened."

Siensao met in council with Jomei, Reki, Kyuzo, Zoukani, and Spike. On the table in front of them was a note, Wu Dai's cleaver, and a little box holding one of the captain's little fingers.

"Listen to this," the merchant said, picking up the note and reading with a cold fury.

_I have the Butcher of Jingzao and from him, I'll get to the others. You'll all die tomorrow. Including you, Siensao Zhang Ai. Yes, I know you're here. If you want to end things early, you may meet me at the forest shrine north of the city, alone, at noon today. If not, then know, as General Xing so aptly put it, I'm coming for you. As proof of my intentions, I offer a token of my esteem._

_ Sincerely, your friend from Arvaikhir_

Siensao crumpled the note into a ball in one fist.

"Change of plans," she said. "If Wu Dai is still alive, we're making sure he doesn't break one way or another and we're taking out that assassin. Today. Jomei, Reki, Kyuzo, you'll break Wu Dai out of that prison. Zoukani and Spike will go with me. This ends and it ends now. I will not be mocked, not even by a Selfless Warrior."

"But it's obviously a trap!" Jomei objected. "You're not seriously going to that shrine!"

Siensao tossed her head. "I have a lot of experience at spotting traps." She said it in a way that didn't sound like an idle boast. "No, since I'm not a bender and she thinks she can spot anyone with me, she's confident of taking me in a fight, one on one. Well, that's her mistake. I'm only taking Zoukani and Spike in case it comes to a fight, I don't expect it will. I've been planning for this day since Arvaikhir." A grim smile came over her face. "And we'll find out just how selfless she is, one drop of blood at a time if we must. If Xing does arrive early, please inform him that I'm otherwise engaged. I have a resistance to save."


	26. Depths of the Black River

**A/N:** Thanks as always to Sylcavoer for beta work. This chapter is a bit short, but I think the upcoming fight deserves a whole chapter to itself. It's going to be a wild ride. I hope you enjoy the show.

* * *

Siensao strode through the shady woods, oblivious to the beautiful summer day, the chirping of birds, and the rustle of the wind through the trees. She was going to face an assassin. The weathered stone of the imperial highway, crafted long ago by Earth King Qin Shi, receded behind her as she turned off the broad road onto a narrow dirt path, worn by countless feet. The small shrine was visible through the trees, an altar with a few old offerings flanked by many small sculptures of the forest spirits that dwelled here. Little more than a place for travelers to give thanks for a safe journey before entering Jingzao, it was perfect for a meeting. She could hear the rushing river faintly off in the distance.

As Siensao entered the clearing, she had an instant of warning as the ground moved under her feet before she sank to her neck into the black loam of the forest, the dirt around her hardening into stone at once. The Selfless Warrior leapt down from a tree, her landing making the ground shiver. She was dressed in brown, her face smeared with green and black, to blend in with her surroundings.

"Where are the others?" she asked matter-of-factly. "They must be incredibly skilled at stealth to evade me. You would never have come alone."

"There are no others," the merchant answered, feigning a similar lack of concern. "Just me. I came because I don't require bending or strength of arms to deal with you."

"A lie. In any case, they are of no consequence. I could crush you with a single gesture," the assassin remarked. "What is it that you think will stop me?"

"Knowledge," Siensao said with a smile entirely inappropriate for someone having to look up at her enemy's knees.

"Interesting – I'm sure you'll explain what sort of knowledge all too willingly before long. But before that…" Flat brown eyes looked down at her. "Why do you deserve to live?"

"It isn't a matter of deserving to live," Siensao answered without hesitation. "I don't deserve to live any more than you. If the universe was a just place, both of us would not be here right now. It's a matter of surviving by any means necessary. The spirits gave us the will to live and we give ourselves the means to, or fail to do so. I've lived until now because no matter what dangers I've faced, I've found ways to survive. If I can't find a way to do that now, I'll die here. That's all it is."

The assassin smiled and bowed deeply in the Earth Kingdom style, fist-in-hand in the sign of the stone.

"That is a good answer," she said. "I ask that question of most of my targets; you truly are an enjoyable assignment. As a courtesy, I will grant you a single favor to ask of me that does not involve acting against the Fire Nation, before I kill you. What do you wish?"

"Thank you for your kind regard, but I think I'll keep my request for another day," Siensao said graciously. "I may have need of it.

"You seem certain you have another day to wait. Odd, since you're not leaving this place alive," Yukari pointed out.

"I respectfully disagree. You won't kill me for several reasons, but mostly, as I said before, because of the knowledge I possess."

"I doubt that very much. What could you possibly know that would…?"

"I know that the man who sent you after me is a traitor to the Fire Nation, which would invalidate your assignment to kill me." If Siensao's hands had been free, she would have glanced at her nails, checking for imperfections as her opponent digested the little tidbit she'd thrown down. "How's that?"

The assassin's calm did not waver.

"And I am to take your word for this?"

"Of course not. Bend me out of the ground and I'll show you my proof. Since we last met, I've had the time to take care of the problem."

Stone slid and Siensao was abruptly standing above ground once again. Brushing some dust off her clothes, she reached into a pocket and slowly brought out a small scroll. Without comment, she handed it over to the assassin, who let it fall open and read without really taking her eyes off Siensao. When she finished, she shook her head and let the scroll fall.

"I won't ask how you got this, but it seems you are correct. You might have planted the evidence of his treachery, or had it done, of course. I could conduct my own investigation."

"That would take a great deal more time and I'd be halfway across the world by the time you were finished and concluded that his actions were not faked," Siensao said. "I don't leave loose ends in my work. You can, if you like, but that's how it'll turn out."

The assassin paused a moment, considering what she had just learned.

"Supposing that I believe you," she said finally, "regardless of whether or not my assignment to kill you by that person remains valid, I have a second command to kill you by Governor Takeo, and besides which, your death is clearly to the betterment of the Fire Nation. So…what knowledge do you possess that will shield you from those two facts?"

Siensao shrugged.

"Oh, merely the knowledge that if you try to kill me, you'll be dead before much longer. You were right. I didn't come alone. Zoukani?"

The old soldier stepped out from behind a tree, spear at the ready. The assassin immediately slid along the ground, turning as she did so that she could face both of them at once, hands raised but still composed.

"Only one guard? Even if he's a bender, one won't be enough."

"He's enough, Selfless Warrior," Siensao said, her voice going cold and stern. "I knew when I first set out on this journey that I would probably run into those from your academy. I had my own plans to deal with you, but they would require a great deal of inconvenience and wasted time. Then Zoukani showed up and my problems were solved. You see…you've already met him under another name. Look closer."

_That_ got a reaction out of the assassin at last, she took another look at Zoukani, squinting intently, and when she found what she was looking for, her mouth fell open in shock.

"Agni's Brightest Light," she whispered. "_This_ is where you disappeared to? To the side of an enemy of the Fire Nation? Why?"

Zoukani opened his mouth to show off his missing tongue, grinning broadly and she flushed red.

"So, Selfless Warrior," Siensao said in tones of quiet menace. "I'll answer your question again. You won't kill me because, on the _very _slight chance that you do, your remaining lifespan will be measured in minutes and no one will ever know what happened and why."

"Why don't you kill me?" the assassin asked, shaking her head. "You know I must report this."

"Honestly, I wouldn't bother," the merchant replied. "None of your fellows would dare to come after me and we both know it. We also both know you'll do it anyway. Go ahead. No one else would even consider me worth the bother of sending ordinary assassins or soldiers. I'm not killing you because that would be a stain upon the academy's honor that would have you all hunting me and I admit I'd have trouble with that. But your fellows are too busy fighting the war and keeping the peace and as long as they have an excuse, they won't fight me. Rest assured, I've thought about all of this very carefully. Now, Selfless Warrior, when I'm ready to call in my favor, how will I contact you?"

The assassin closed her mouth and stood for a moment, silent, then bowed her head, conceding defeat.

"Send a messenger hawk to the Royal Palace addressed to Yukari, a maid of the household. It will reach me sooner or later." She had regained her composure.

"You would have made an excellent student of the academy, Siensao Zhang Ai," she said. "You have just made history this day. I am humbled to witness it."

Siensao chuckled.

"You haven't seen anything yet. Stick around and you'll witness a great deal more history, if you like. Are you going to stay and help the governor defend his province?"

Yukari shook her head.

"With him at your side, there is no victory by myself, with only the governor and his soldiers," she said. "I must report to my masters and receive my next assignment. I will try to persuade them to set all available Selfless Warriors against you. If that fails…I will take on the assignment alone. We will meet again."

"I look forward to it," Siensao said casually. "Though it would pain me greatly to kill you. If you ever find yourself in need of a job, ask for me at Zhang Ai Antiquities in Ba Sing Se. I like your style."

Yukari bowed once more, put her foot down, and went flying off through the branches, away from the shrine.

Siensao let out a relieved sigh.

"Well," she said to Zoukani as he shouldered his spear and took up his usual place at her side, "that went better than I expected." Her smile became mischievous. "You know, I think she liked you."

The old soldier rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm just saying, you aren't getting any younger. You have to think of the future."

* * *

Jomei was home again, if only in a very generous definition of the word. But the deep gloom of the tunnel he, Reki, and Kyuzo now walked through was familiar and comforting to him in a way that only a miner could understand. Underground, he knew what to do and what not to do. He was surrounded by his element. He was confident. What he worried about was when the tunnel came to an end and they emerged into the governor's palace. Fire Nation uniforms, such as they all wore, did not an impenetrable disguise make. He no longer questioned how Siensao knew what she knew, but he did sometimes wonder, especially when it involved a secret escape tunnel that predated Fire Nation occupation of Jingzao and had somehow escaped destruction from traitor earthbenders. It showed its age in crumbling stone, a thick layer of dust, and enormous cobwebs that required him to hold the glowcrystal torch in front of him to cut through them.

Far too soon for his liking, the tunnel came to an end, with a set of newly-installed stairs leading up to an iron door. The lock was strange, having only a single, circular keyhole.

"Hey, Fire Nation, how do we get past this?" he whispered, waving for Kyuzo to move up. The firebender looked at it briefly and whispered back, "It's a fire lock. Only a firebender can open it. Hang on just a minute."

He stepped up to the opening, pressed his palm against the keyhole, took a breath, and straightened his arm with a violent motion, sending a burst of flame into the lock. The door swung silently open on well-oiled tracks, and the three of them hurried up the steps before it closed again. They emerged into yet another tunnel, this one just a typical secret passage, narrow and dark. But it still felt enough like underground that Jomei knew where he was.

"Siensao said this way," he murmured, and led them off to the left, counting his paces. When they reached the right number, he turned to face the stone wall to his right. There was supposed to be an earthbending door here. He handed off the glowcrystal torch to Kyuzo and pressed both hands and an ear against the cold stone, tapping with one finger as he put his sense of earth to the test. Most secret earthbending doors could only be opened by someone who'd seen them opened before, as one had to know precisely where the seams were. If he guessed wrong here, he'd probably destroy a wall display or ruin a painting and they'd be in trouble. Fortunately, Jomei's stone sense had been honed in the mine. Down there, one had to know the cracks and fractures that ran through the earth and the kind of rock that had them, or you'd be dead and buried in a hurry. After a moment, he nodded, and shoved outwards.

A large section of stone slid forward and then slightly open, letting in a flood of light. No one yelled, and nothing went crash, much to Jomei's relief. He hurried out into the hallway, Reki and Kyuzo right behind. As he slid the door back into place and smoothed the stone, he got a look around. The hallway was still empty, but to their right, iron plating began, which meant they were close to the high-security cells and where earthbending was next to useless.

"Down this hallway to the right," he said, bending dust off his uniform and heading off at a fast pace, thankful for Siensao's foresight in providing them with soft-soled boots that didn't clang on the iron floor. Not too far along, the hallway turned a corner. Jomei stopped there, putting his back to the wall, and cautiously peered around it. He saw eight Fire Nation soldiers standing guard, four at the top and four at the bottom of the stairs down to where cell doors stood shut tight. The hallway was narrow enough that only one person could get down the stairs at a time, where a fire blast could take invaders out easily, and give the farther group, at the bottom of the stairs, time to sound the alarm.

Jomei turned back to Reki and Kyuzo and held up eight fingers, then, through gestures, explained where they were positioned. Zoukani had been helping him work on those for missions like these. But as to how to take them out, that was a bit too advanced for him to talk about with his hands. For that, he turned to Reki and nodded. She took the lead and looked to Kyuzo, making the sign for snuffing fires, then to Jomei and made the same sign. Both of them knew what to do. The Fire Nation had been clever, only replacing half the glowcrystal torches with real lanterns. The two benders raised their hands. Kyuzo felt the fires battling against the darkness and Jomei sensed the cold crystals shining with inner light. Reki drew her sword as quietly as possible, the faint rasp unheard above the murmuring of the guards, then raised the three fingers that remained on her off hand. _Three._ One finger curled downwards and Kyuzo took a deep breath. _Two._ Her thumb followed and Jomei took up an earthbending stance, standing strong. _One._ The last finger snapped closed, making a fist, and the two benders closed their hands as well.

Chaos fell at once as the lanterns went out and the glowcrystals shattered in Jomei's grip. Reki was around the corner and among the guards almost before the light died and then the screaming started. Fire blasts briefly lit up the iron hall as Jomei and Kyuzo charged into the fray, Jomei unlimbering his hammer and bringing the heavy steel down in the same motion, sending one man flying down the stairs, broken and dying with his chest crushed.

Kyuzo deflected a fire blast that would have taken the earthbender in the back and one foot came around in a fire kick that knocked the soldier's legs out from under him. Jomei's hammer fell again and made sure he stayed down. At the bottom of the stairs, Reki's sword cut in swift strokes, finding weak points in the guards' armor. In less than half a minute, they were all dead, without one having had the time to blow the alarm, but the noise was as good as one and now came the critical moments. Following the wavering light Kyuzo held in one hand, the three of them sprinted for the cell door that held their objective.

Jomei's hammer swung, striking a huge dent into the iron door, making it ring like a gong. A second blow made the whole door shiver and crumple inwards. The third strike broke the lock and sent the door tumbling down and they charged through.

Jomei had just enough time to see Wu Dai, bloody but intact, chained to a table in the center of the room, a short man with red-stained hands in a firebending stance next to him, and a thick layer of sand under his feet. _Shit._

Karida struck like lightning, for once not screaming as she exploded outwards from the corner where she'd been waiting, channeling sand into a violent, shifting wall that swirled up around them, meeting overhead to form the perfect trap. Then she brought her hands together and all that sand flew inwards to bury them. Jomei threw both hands outwards and fought her, scrabbling for a better grip on the sand, but she was stronger, surer in her element, with insane hate fueling her attack. Bit by bit, their prison slowly sank inwards. Kyuzo, panicking, threw a fire blast at it, but all it did was blacken part of the wall and heat the air around them to stifling hot.

Jomei could hear Aariak's voice in his head, telling him to find the weakness and hit it. At least this time it wasn't hard to spot. Karida couldn't work with stone.

He let go his grip on most of the sand, focusing only on that in front of him, hardening it into stone and tearing it from Karida's grasp. The rest of the sand immediately rushed towards them, ready to crush them into pulp. Jomei, letting out a shout, punched his new stone forwards at where he knew Karida was standing. Outside, the sandbender shrieked a vile curse as she called up more sand to turn aside the block of stone before it crushed her and her prison fell apart.

Then matters were different. Kyuzo, scrambling to help, began throwing fire blasts at Karida, as fast as he could, while Jomei concentrated on turning all the sand in the room to stone. Karida was better at turning it back, but with Kyuzo distracting her, she was pinned down for now.

"Go!" Jomei yelled at Reki, who sprinted across the room. The interrogator was waiting for her, but Reki timed her kick perfectly, blinding him with a spray of sand just before he meant to burn her down and he didn't have the time to recover before a bloody sword punched through him. Reki snatched the keys off his belt and began working at Wu Dai's chains. The captain was raging at her.

"Just kill me and get out of here! I'll never make it! Give me the godsdamn knife and I'll do it myself! Give it here, you bitch, that's an order!"

"Siensao said alive, she did not say intact," Reki snarled back, unlocking his feet first. "You will come with us willingly or as a eunuch, tied up on Jomei's back and I do not care which it is!"

Siensao's name got through to him.

"Curse that woman!" he roared. "Hurry up with those cuffs!"

The last lock clicked and he staggered up from the table, battered but unbroken.

"Jomei!" Reki shouted, "Time to go!"

They all headed towards the door, but Karida had other ideas. She dropped her guard and Kyuzo's next fire blast caught her in the side, setting her clothes on fire and no doubt burning exposed skin, but she ignored it, too focused on turning the whole floor to sand under their feet. A whirling column of sand lunged from underneath, surrounding them and cutting them off from the door. Only then did Karida smother the flames, her eyes burning with victorious light. Jomei looked back at Reki.

"Catapult me through it!" she ordered him. He hardened sand into stone, slammed down his foot, and Reki shot through the air, punching through the wall of sand, eyes closed and sword close at her side. The wall tore at her on the way through, ripping her clothes and drawing red lines along her skin, but she made it through. Reki's head sank into the sandbender's gut and the two of them toppled over in a tangle of limbs, Reki rolling off to the side. The blow to her head left her a little slow, just enough for Karida to gather up sand and curl up inside a ball of it. The swordswoman spat on her enemy's defense and the four of them made for the door at last. Jomei, as he ran, cracked two small bits of stone free under his feet, so that each step clanged loudly. Outside, alarm bells were ringing.

They bolted up the stairs faster than they had gone down them the first time, rounded the corner, and saw Fire Nation reinforcements charging from the other end of the hallway. If Jomei and the others got to the stone part first, they'd have a chance. If the Fire Nation caught them without earth to bend, before they got to the secret passage, they were dead. Jomei's feet felt like lead as he gasped for breath, running for all he was worth. Wu Dai was in bad shape, red stains seeping through his worn prison tunic as he struggled to keep up, leaving bloody footprints behind.

Jomei saw the secret passage opening coming up fast and raised his hammer. This wasn't going to be pretty. The earthbender leapt, using the stone on his feet to throw himself forward, just ahead of the Fire Nation, and swung his hammer around in a silver arc. The wall exploded into choking dust and lethal shards of stone, stalling the Fire Nation for just long enough. The four of them vanished into the darkness and Jomei, at the back, brought his hammer down again, this time collapsing the ceiling and walls of the passage, the avalanche of broken stone blocking any pursuit. They weren't out yet, but Wu Dai was as good as free. They had done the impossible. But soon enough they'd have to do it again.

* * *

Takeo stared out his office window, this time at the setting sun, a deep, abiding anger making each breath he took turn to steam, with smoke drifting from his clenched fists. Everything was spinning out of control. The province was slipping from his grasp, do what he would to hold onto it. _Damn that killing machine of a woman! I should never have trusted her!_ The note Yukari left him was brief and to the point. _'Take your people, blast breaches in the city walls, and withdraw to the south. You will have a fighting chance. Remain, and you will die and Xing will have a base from which to strike into the south of the province. This humble servant returns to the Homeland to send for assistance, having been unequal to the task given her.' '_The ashes of that note lay scattered across the tabletop.

_I command no one but sycophants, fools, and weaklings not fit for recruits to practice killing!_ His subordinates' advice was all equally useless, and the palace guards had managed to somehow let a whole squad of rebels into the palace to rescue that butcher down in the cells. Minamo had even advocated following Yukari's advice, the coward! As usual, only Takeo's direct orders turned chaos into discipline and action.

_I rule over people who have learned to hate me and I don't have enough time to win them back before Xing gets here and the city descends into madness._ It was a full moon tonight, slowly rising over the mountains, and he was certain tonight was when Iron Hand would make his move. His damned message kept coming back to Takeo like a bad dream. _I'm coming for you._

Takeo's anger gave itself voice in a growl that rose into a furious roar as his flaming fist came around and smashed down upon the table, splintering it into blackened, smoldering pieces. For months he had wanted to do that, to sweep away all the idiotic debates that took place there, distracting him and preventing him from properly ruling! If Xing wanted to face him, that would be a welcome diversion from his usual duties.

"Guard!" he yelled and one of the men outside the room came hurrying in, kneeling before him.

"Send word to General Nazaki!" he ordered. "He is to put the entire garrison, including that at Shan Ling, on alert! Withdraw all patrols from the streets and put them on the city walls, the palace walls, and inside the palace proper, then close the gates! Half the throwing-engines on the outer walls are to be turned inward so as to be ready to fire on any part of the city at a moment's notice! All loyal earthbenders are to be assigned to tunnel-watching duty just inside the palace walls! No matter what, no rebels are to enter! And summon my elite guard! They will be present here with me from now on until further notice! Go!"

The soldier got up and ran off without answering as though all the demons of the world were on his heels. Takeo nodded with an approving grunt. _At least some people around here do what they're told._ He turned back to the window, feeling much better about tonight. _Come and die, Xing. The Fire Nation does not run from those such as you and neither do I. Shaokai Province will not fall while I live._ As if in answer, thunder rumbled.

Far away, a hidden door in the side of the valley slid open and a short man with an iron hand stepped out, to look down upon Jingzao for the first time in a long while, then looked up at the dark clouds approaching from the east. _Well, Siku's weather rituals still work after all. Good. After a month working on it, this had better be the great-grandfather of all storms._

"Men," he said to the soldiers and warriors behind him, emerging to take in the valley and all it held, "Tonight is when it begins. Tonight is when we stop running and hiding and start taking back our kingdom. Tonight…is when we become legends."


	27. Battle of the Summer Storm

**A/N:** And so the Jukana Arc comes to an epic conclusion! A thousand thanks to Sylvacoer for beta reading things, of course. The reason this took so long to get posted is because there were serious issues I had to be rescued from or was working through. But it's here now! With added omake content! Read and be amazed! Also, make sure to get out there and vote, for those of you in America. Make your voice heard. And enjoy the show.

* * *

It was a dark and stormy night. The rain came down like the fury of a god, as if the sky had been torn open and the blood of the world poured from the wound. Every so often, eye-searing bolts of lightning ripped across the heavens or struck down at the earth, followed by the deafening booms of thunder, loud enough to make ears bleed. Siku stood upon an upthrust rock in the middle of the raging, foaming river, just north of Jingzao, and looked skyward.

The old shaman stood calmly with no regard for the threat of the storm. It was his, after all, the wrath of every last water spirit in the valley made manifest in answer to his call, a month in the making and the greatest act of spirit power in generations. Only a little more and it would truly become a weapon. Then it would be time for him to uphold his end of the bargain. He raised his staff high and called out, his voice lost in the gale, though his words were carried swiftly upwards.

"O Spirits! Your righteous fury is truly mighty and powerful! I shudder at a sight I am unworthy to behold! Before our deal is done, I ask only one thing more of you!"

If his eyes were as they used to be, he could have seen watery shapes moving across the heavens and in the river around him. He could still feel their powerful presence and their question.

"Let the main focus of your wrath be those whose souls are of burning fire and whose thoughts are filled with hatred for those mortals of Earth and Water. They deny you all that is your due! Let your vengeance and justice bring these tyrants to their knees! Let your wrath bring them _down!_" On the last word, he brought the staff down upon the rock.

Another flash of lightning and the answering clap of thunder and Siku had his answer, the one he wanted.

"Then our bargain is done," he said, bowing his head and closing his eyes. "I am ready. Claim what is yours."

A thunderous roar, audible even over the storm, rose up behind him. He turned and saw a massive wave surging down the river towards him, formed from the mighty rains that had fallen to the north and the massive glaciers in the high mountains where the spirits of snow and ice had answered his call.

In that last moment, Siku dared greatly, more than he had ever done in his long life. He called upon the Moon Spirit itself, not to bargain, only to ask. No shaman could do more than ask of the moon or ocean and the few times they answered were known to history. He asked anyway.

Whatever response he got brought a faint smile to his lips. Then the great wash of water engulfed him and he was gone. Inside Jingzao, his words became real.

* * *

The city was quiet and afraid. Most of the people had retreated into basements, cellars, or even left the city entirely for the duration of the fight. Those who weren't so lucky simply waited, praying that neither side would come anywhere near them. Such was the way of war in the Earth Kingdom for the commoners. Their task was only to survive.

The Fire Nation stood in grim-faced ranks upon the walls of the palace, waiting for the attack to come. Raindrops hissed into steam against the armor of firebenders and the fires of the great braziers that seemed to cower against the night. All of them were soaked to the skin and thoroughly miserable, but still they stood. Even over the storm, they could hear a dull roar from the city as the people gathered and see the faint green light of glowcrystal torches moving about. There was no doubt in their minds. Xing was here and if they beat him, it would be here. Then the storm turned on them.

Three massive, blue-white lightning bolts lashed out from the dark clouds. One struck in the midst of the packed soldiers, near the gates. The slick stones of the battlements flashed white and dozens of men cried out, some of them collapsing like puppets with their strings cut, others in horrible agony, thrashing around as their muscles spasmed, begging for help. The second bolt struck elsewhere on the battlements and the third hit the palace itself, blowing out a section of wall. The shattered remnants of cold fire hissed over the iron-plated walls, driving the soldiers to near panic as they cringed away from the storm, shouting in alarm.

Atop the gatehouse, General Nazaki watched, stunned for one of the few times in his career, as the unnatural storm smashed apart his and Takeo's plans.

"Sir, we can't just stay up here!" one of his subordinates yelled at him. "The rebels won't even have to kill us, the storm will do it for them!"

"I won't leave the walls unmanned! Each company commander is to pick a squad and space themselves far apart. Get the rest of the men down into the courtyard! I'll stay where I am!"

"Sir, if one of those bolts gets you, there won't be anyone to organize the defense! I'll stay!"

Nazaki was about to protest, but just then, yet another lightning bolt struck so close by that he felt a sharp jolt, even through the thick leather of his boots, and he thought better of it.

"I'll be right below you behind the gates!" he said, moving back towards the ladder down. "I want constant reports on rebel activity!"

"Yes, sir!"

The new commander of the walls looked over his remaining troops as the rest followed Nazaki down the stairs and ladders to the shelter of the courtyard, wondering if there was anything he could say to rally them in the face of whatever angry spirits were bearing down on them. He never got the chance. Red flares shrieked into the sky from the roofs below, east, north, and west. A warning from their spotters: rebel forces were approaching in great numbers. In the next flash of lightning, he saw light glinting off armor, spear points, and sword blades, and the streets below full of people hurrying about.

"Here they come!" he yelled to the men remaining around him. "Call in the artillery and let's shatter their sky!"

Their signal man lit a skyflower rocket, which blasted up into the sky and burst overhead with a thunderous boom lighting up the clouds with gold and green and the defenders raised a cheer, knowing what it meant. Even as it faded, a second skyflower, blue and white, burst over the eastern part of the city, followed by a series of smaller white flares to mark the enemy position. The rebels were at the river already.

By the banks of the swollen Jidai River, a rebel company, two hundred strong, hurried along the stony shore, making for the place where they would turn the tide of battle. But they had scarcely reached the right spot when an explosion burst among their ranks, arrows hissed through the air, aimed at their waterbenders, and streams of fire burst forth from second-story windows. In the distance, more Fire Nation squads saw the fighting and came running, squads of archers, some carrying heavy crossbows and cases of incendiary bolts, and of course, firebenders. The rebel forces quickly formed up, their earthbenders raising walls and hurling boulders at where they guessed the fire was coming from, but the attacks didn't stop, and the waterbenders were forced to turn their talent to fighting for their lives. Then they saw the first wave of fireballs streaking across the black sky, falling towards them, and they ran for cover. The bombardment blasted huge craters into the streets and smashed apart buildings, rendering the open ground a no-man's land. The rebels wouldn't be making use of the river anytime soon.

At the north wall of Jingzao, the artillery crews, just about the only people braving the lightning storm atop the walls, hurried to reload after the first barrage, steam hissing as the windlass spun, and the next oil-soaked boulder was rolled and lashed into place. Down on the ground, the ordinary soldiers struggled to keep out of the worst of the cold, sucking mud that the streets had become.

A volley of heavy stones, inaudible in the wind and rain until they hit, smashed into their ranks at the far west section of the walls, and in their wake, a screaming horde came charging out of the darkness. The Fire Nation strike teams hidden in the nearby buildings emerged, falling on the horde from behind and upsetting their earthbending artillery crews, but the mob fought with the ferocity and courage of desperation, and the muddy waters swirling about their feet quickly darkened with blood. The well-trained Fire Nation soldiers used every trick, every choke point to grind down the enemy advance, but the rebels pushed hard, clawing their way, step by step, through the defenders' ranks. If they gained the walls, the artillery crews were dead men. But first they had to get there. In the south, the situation was much the same, and the Fire Nation artillery continued its deadly work.

Inside the palace gates, Nazaki smiled, hearing the unmistakable sound of the heavy artillery arriving.

"General!" his subordinate called from atop the gatehouse. "The rebels are in disarray! Whatever they were waiting for hasn't happened yet!"

Nazaki reacted immediately.

"Form up around me!" he ordered the troops on the ground. "Crossbow teams and demolitionists to the front, behind the first wave! We're going to kill us some rebels! Open the gates!"

As the thick gates slid open with a hiss and groan, the Fire Nation charged out into the city, between bombardments. As they emerged, the crossbowmen formed ranks and fired, the bolts wreaking havoc in the rebel ranks. Demolitionists hurled grenades into the buildings before the first squads burst through the doors. Nazaki didn't go far, reining in the attack quickly and setting up in only the nearest buildings to the gates, establishing a buffer zone. But Fire Nation quick-striking squads ranged out and back, killing rebels wherever they found them. If things kept on this way, the Fire Nation would carry the day.

Sensing impending defeat, Xing gave the order he'd hoped not to.

"First Company, follow me! Everyone else, move up! Earthbenders, sweep those soldiers off the walls! We're not going to sit out here and die! We're taking the walls and gate NOW!"

Jomei, following close behind the diminutive general, shuddered inwardly as he thought of what awaited them, but he went all the same, hammer raised, screaming his battle cry into the face of the enemy.

In the chaos of the battle, no one noticed a single man in Fire Nation armor moving through the corridors of the palace with the quiet, even serene purpose of a man on a mission. Behind his face plate, Zoukani smiled.

At the north wall, the throwing-engine crews launched another volley of fireballs into the storm and hoped that they fell close to the target. It felt strange to be attacking the city these machines had been built to defend. But they knew the rebels were taking a beating, at least. Then the first man gained the battlements, climbing up off one of the ladders, a spear in his hands. The firebender of the crew nearest him blew him off the wall with a fire blast, sending him plummeting to his death, but all around them, more and more rebels were clambering up, screaming bloody murder and the crew abandoned their task, running for the lowest point in the wall, jumping for their lives. The earthbending artillery finally scored a hit, obliterating one engine, then another. The bombardment halted, and one of the rebels set off one of their own signal skyflowers, a blue-and-white one, signaling that the Fire Nation artillery was down.

The rebel forces near the river saw the skyflower burst from the north wall, followed only a moment later by one from the south wall, and they made their move. Moving back into the open and throwing up stone shields against the snipers and strike companies of the Fire Nation, their waterbenders, drinking in the power of the full moon, took hold of the Jidai River and bent it to their will. Half of the mighty, thundering river turned aside, vanishing into the entrance of the tunnel they'd built to channel its power, and, trading off grips, the waterbenders moved down into the dark mud of the riverbed, the earthbenders following them, keeping their shields up, and more and more of the river twisted aside from its course until nearly all its waters spiraled into the tunnel, racing along it faster than the swiftest ostrich-horse could run. The water was on its way.

Up in the governor's office in the central tower, Takeo watched the light of the battle flare through the driving rain. The open window let in a cold wind and a steady drizzle of rain, but he didn't care. A messenger, dripping wet, came running in to kneel before him.

"My lord, the rebels have silenced the artillery batteries atop the north and south walls! Colonel Mizuhara is preparing a counterstrike to retake the south wall and save as many throwing-engines as he can!"

"Very good," Takeo said, turning to address the man. "Send up the signal for Shan Ling to bombard the north wall. We don't want our own artillery being used against us."

"Yes, my lord!" The messenger bowed and dashed off again, gasping for breath.

Takeo spared a glance at Yukari's former assistant, the scarred sandbender. She looked nervous, like she wanted to make a break for it, though she wasn't nearly as bad as Ma Chao, who was sweating like a cow-pig over in the corner, to Takeo's great satisfaction.

"Don't even think about it," he advised her. "You'll be fighting with the rest of us if it comes to that. That much I can get from that Selfless Warrior." He turned back to the battle. Another lightning bolt struck the battlements, killing more soldiers and he let out a growl of displeasure. _We'll hold them. Even if they manage to get to the gate, it's a choke point and we're far better suited to holding it._ But he still felt dread.

On the ground just outside the gates, Nazaki waited. Now that the barrage had stopped, he expected an attack at any time. _Let them come! They'll be slaughtered in a charge through these killing fields!_ He didn't expect what happened next. A broad swath of paving stones, right in the center of his field entrenchments, exploded, unleashing a river's worth of water in a pressurized jet that fountained high into the sky, as tall as the battlements. The rebels took full advantage of the chaos, breaking through the weakened defenses and pushing the Fire Nation back. Waterbenders were freezing dozens alive, conjuring up storms of sharp-edged ice shards, and turning the rain-slick street into a slippery deathtrap.

"Fall back behind the walls!" Nazaki shouted between fire blasts. "Then close the gates!"

The remaining Fire Nation troops needed little encouragement, flooding back behind the safety of the palace walls, and the great gates slammed shut with a loud clang. The defenders still atop the walls did their best. Ballistae twanged and boomtips blasted craters into the ground. Firebombs and iron shrapnel bombs rained down. Barrels worth of sticky flaming oil poured out of small openings all along the battlements, creating a line of fire at the base of the walls.

But earthbending artillery crashed down upon them. The ballistae burst into useless scrap. The grenades fell from limp hands. The flaming oil sheeted off stone shields held overhead, shunted aside by earthbenders protecting teams of rebels with prybars and waterbenders working at the iron plating.

Seizing the turn in the tide, Xing bent a column of stone, riding it to the top of the gatehouse, braving the lightning the same as the Fire Nation. What earthbenders could be spared followed his lead, bringing other fighters along with them, making short work of the remaining defenders.

"It's Xing!" Mizuhara yelled at the forces below. "He's here! He's-"

His voice stopped abruptly. Nazaki stared up, the battle noise suddenly, oddly distant. Another good man, lost to these scum… at his own orders. _Wait a moment, Mizuhara and I promise you, you won't be crossing over alone._ He signaled to the strike company nearest him. Xing was exposed, and he would see that the bastard paid for his temerity.

General Nazaki prided himself in rarely having to take the field personally, due to the quality of his soldiers. But when he did so, he also prided himself on his strength. And he had not yet met his match. Now, facing the wrath of the river the rebels had turned against them and the storm that was still killing his men with the eye-searing lightning bolts, he showed no fear as he drew the massive no-dachi that gave him his nickname and strode forth to the base of the wall, below the gates, leading a picked squad of soldiers. He would win back the walls and stop this assault in its tracks.

"Up!" he shouted at his earthbenders, and they raised the squad upwards towards the top of the wall. Naturally, the rebels saw them coming and a waterfall came pouring down.

"Fire!" he shouted, and all the firebenders of the unit, himself included, loosed an inferno that turned the strike into a cloud of scalding steam. The ferocity of the counterattack drove the rebels back from the edge. Then they were up and running to the attack. He saw in a glance that they had gotten the gatehouse hatch open and were trying to fight their way down into it. With most of their waterbenders either at the river or on the ground, that left only the usual rebel scum to oppose them. Nazaki let out a fierce battle cry that rose above the wind and rain and his men echoed it, cheering him on as he ran towards his foes, sword raised high.

Fire crackled along the great blade as he swung at the first fool to get in his way, a greybeard with a spear. The man blocked, but the force of the strike broke his weapon and sent him flying away into the wash of water. The next person was a younger man with a warhammer and a stupid-looking fur cap. He brought the weapon down at Nazaki, going for the kill while the general was still recovering from the previous strike. Nazaki raised one foot and delivered a fire kick, surprising the man and forcing him back and away as he ducked out of the path of the blast, giving the general time to fully recover and bring the brunt of his firebending power to bear. Without earth to bend up here, he was done for.

Then, to Nazaki's boundless delight, Xing himself came in from the side, swinging that puny little jitte of his. Fast as a tiger-snake, Nazaki whirled to parry the blow, and then, as his men followed up, crashing into the rebel ranks, the two found themselves facing each other. Xing was as grim as the storm, hammering away at Nazaki's guard with his glorified swordbreaking stick, trying to keep him from firebending. Nazaki's flaming sword darted around, startlingly fast for such a big weapon, deflecting each strike. Then he made a cut of his own, letting the jitte screech against his armor, and fire roared again.

The strike caught Xing in the side, sending him skidding back towards the battlements, where the rest of the rebels were busy dying at the hands of Nazaki's soldiers, though oddly enough, a short fighter with a scimitar and the warhammer guy were giving them some trouble. Nazaki quickly advanced, ready to end this rebellion here and now. His great sword came down hard.

_Clang!_

Xing had caught the blade in his iron hand and the swordbreaker, less than an inch away from connecting. Nazaki let go with one hand and readied a fire blast with the other to sear flesh from bone. A few different things happened at once. Xing closed his fist, twisting violently, and the thick steel snapped with a piercing note that hung in the air. Then he dropped flat. Nazaki unleashed his fire blast, burning the resistance leader's armor black. Then the waterbenders handling the enormous jet brought it back together and blasted Nazaki off the wall. One of the earthbenders on their stone platform just barely caught him as he fell, hauling him to safety. Up top, the waterbenders redirected the jet back back out into the courtyard and more rebels swarmed into the gap, or stood up from where they'd dropped.

"Quick, before he comes back, we need to take that gatehouse!" Xing shouted, ignoring the smoldering patches on his armor. "Now! Kyuzo, give it to them!"

The demolitions man took a particular bomb from his bandolier, lit the fuse, and lobbed it down the hatch into the gatehouse. It exploded in a cloud of sickly yellowish-green smoke that quickly spread. The Fire Nation defenders started choking, their eyes tearing up at the sulfurous fumes. In the wake of the bomb, rebel fighters jumped down, with wet cloths tied over their faces.

Xing followed them down, moving swiftly through the fray to the lever that opened the gate. He found only a broken metal stub. They'd made sure the gates wouldn't open, even if the gatehouse fell. Xing took hold of the stub with his iron hand and put the full might of his bending into the effort. Something snapped with a metallic ping, and the lever moved. Steam hissed, gears groaned, and the massive iron-plated gates of the palace slid open. Below, Nazaki, in the front rank of the troops on the ground, stood and watched the first wave of the gathered mob charge towards them, blood-mad.

"Magnificent," he murmured. _This is what I was made for._

Outside the walls, two patches of newly-bared stone at the base of the wall, glistened and flashed in the flickering glare of lightning, their discarded iron armor strewn haphazardly about as the earthbenders dug into their work. A call went up and others lugged barrels of blasting jelly, the whole of the rebel stock, shoving them down into the shallow adits. The crew captains exchanged glances, then signaled to their subordinates, who retreated behind stone barriers well back from the wall. The pair lit the fuses and bolted for shelter, huddling in the mud to wait.

The resulting blasts obliterated two broad sections of the palace walls, sending huge chunks of stone and shatterd iron plate flying and throwing up immense clouds of dust. The rain swiftly cleared the air, revealing the devastation. The iron plates still remaining were warped and bent by the force. The rebels charged through the gaps.

The explosions were also the signal to the tunneling crews, the most dedicated and fearless and expendable of Xing's soldiers. Their earthbenders shoved and their tunnels moved forward under the walls, into the courtyard. The Fire Nation earthbenders, even distracted as they were, blew through the tunnel walls of three of the crews, and through the openings, fire poured in, and flaming oil, and grenades of every description. In the packed depths, dozens died screaming, unable to run. But the remaining two tunneling crews broke through and more rebels flooded out into the open, falling upon the Fire Nation ground forces from the flanks. Nazaki's troops were being forced back, inch by bloody inch, and the general, even furious as he was, felt the bitter taste of defeat.

"Pull everyone back into the palace!" he ordered. "Then bar the doors! We can hold them off long enough for the governor to get out safely! Retreat slowly, and keep your faces to the enemy!"

On the other side of the battle, Xing had gathered his elite squad about him once again.

"The Fire Nation is falling back!" he bellowed, ignoring one of the lightning bolts that didn't strike the walls, instead hitting the ground, killing men of both sides. "Let's go kill us a governor!" He led them around towards the west part of the palace complex, where the fighting was least. The rebels smelled victory.

This time the messenger, that same young man, was terrified, running scared, as he sprinted into Takeo's office.

"My lord, the enemy has breached the walls and is attempting to move into the palace! General Nazaki is confident he can hold the palace long enough for you to get out and make a strategic retreat! He requests that you leave at once!"

Takeo let out a deep sigh, looking down at the rebel advance. _Damn Yukari. Damn Xing. Damn them all. Still, it's sound advice. No sense in letting them flood or starve us out of this place and we still hold Shan Ling and the south. We'll come back when there isn't a full moon and the weather is good and burn this city to the ground._

"I agree," he replied. "Inform the general I will heed his advice and that I'll send word once I'm out of the city."

"Yes, sir!" the messenger said, and dashed off yet again.

"Form up, everyone," the governor said, and his guards quickly gathered around him. "Send someone to burn the sensitive archives and send word for the forces on the north and south city walls to retreat to the nearest Fire Nation outpost at once, to hold until further notice."

As the doors swung open to the hallway, to his great astonishment, he found someone barring the way. A single spearman, an older man with a huge beard.

"What are you doing here?" Takeo demanded. "Get out of the way, idiot!"

Zoukani grinned.

Jomei and the others barreled down a hallway behind the rest of Xing's squad, heading for the top of the palace tower. They'd climbed all the way to its base and broken in from there, bypassing most of the Fire Nation soldiers. All the stairs had them gasping for breath soon enough. Xing, with his short legs, had it worst of all, but doggedly kept at the front of the squad, keeping pace. Surprisingly, there wasn't much resistance. The place seemed deserted as they neared the top.

Finally, they burst out into the hallway just outside the governor's office, ready for battle. They found Zoukani leaning against the wall across from the doors, spear in hand. The iron plates all around him were scorched black as if a furious battle had taken place, but there were no bodies to be seen.

"Zoukani! Good work," Siensao said, wiping a sleeve across her damp brow. "Is he in there?"

The old soldier nodded.

"How many with him?"

Zoukani counted to fifteen.

"And you blocked the escape tunnel from the office before we started the attack?"

Another nod.

Siensao smiled.

"Excellent. Just as planned. Jomei, block the doors!"

Jomei went back for a large section of stone that he slammed down against the base of the iron doors.

"Quick now, up to the roof! Zoukani, keep the watch here!"

Zoukani waved them on by, still leaning casually against the wall.

Out on the roof, nearer the storm than anywhere else, it was nearly pitch black. The feeble light above Kyuzo's hand was on the verge of going out from the moment the hatch opened, but the way was clear. Up top, the roof was still stone, with high battlements that looked out over the valley. The office might be iron-plated on the inside, but it wouldn't save them. Jomei and the other earthbender of the squad started cracking stone free in large chunks, tossing it aside, digging down until they heard iron bending and knew they were hauling on the bolts that held the plates flush with the stonework.

"Got it!" Jomei exulted.

"Good! Get ready, everyone!"

Jomei and the other earthbender armored themselves in stone, Kyuzo retrieved a couple bombs from his bandoliers, the non-bending fighters checked their weapons, and the waterbenders gathered the rain into a fast-growing sphere of water, hovering over them.

"Ready!" Jomei said, hefting his warhammer.

"Ready!" Reki said, sword held high.

"Ready!" Spike grunted, straining to hold up all the water overhead.

"Right," Xing said. "Let's go, then. Now!"

The earthbenders brought their hands down and blasted a wide hole through the roof, out of which immediately poured a river of fire. After it died away, Kyuzo lit and tossed in a flashbang. Following its blinding burst, the waterbenders dumped their gathered rainwater down into the chambers, freezing it solid just after and heading down as the first wave. Jomei tossed down a large boulder, just in case, then the earthbenders followed, Xing first, with the non-benders going last of all. Feet first into hell.

But just as they splashed down into the ankle-high water, something happened that had never been seen before. Unseen beyond the clouds, the moon turned blood red, and seen by all, a crimson tide of light engulfed the world. The ice spike that Spike was about to throw fell to the ground, along with the water she held around herself. The waterbenders fighting on the ground lost their power. The group that channeled the river to their purposes was swept away in an instant as tons of water slammed into them. Takeo and his guard melted most of the ice in a powerful burst of firebending, stronger than anything Jomei had seen tonight, even from that one guy with the big sword at the gates. Spike instinctively tried to bend a watery shield but nothing happened and Takeo's attack sent her flying into the wall by the doors. She slid down like a broken doll and didn't get up.

The other rebel fighters began a desperate battle for survival in the cluttered, wrecked office, all lit in the same bloody light. Xing was yelling for Takeo to face him, but Takeo was busy fending off Kyuzo, who had gone berserk, attacking the governor with twin fire swords. Jomei put himself back-to-back with Reki and Siensao and the three of them charged into battle.

In the midst of the fighting, Karida crept around the edge of the room, terror on her face as she watched Reki fight. Finally, she reached the doors. That lunatic outside would probably kill her, but if she stayed in here, Reki or someone else would definitely kill her. Seeing Ma Chao cowering behind one of the wall hangings nearby, she crept over and shook him by the shoulder.

"Come on, you miserable spider-snake! Now's our chance!"

"It's all right!" the steward hissed, clinging onto whatever foolish idea was in his head. "I'll just surrender to Xing. I'm not fighting. I'll surrender."

"Let's try this again," Karida snarled, drawing a knife and jabbing it under his chin. "You can help me or you can die here! Which is it?"

"All right, all right, I'll help!" he sputtered, and she shoved him towards the door.

Turning the knob, she dragged one of the heavy doors partly open.

"There's a big lump of stone on the other side," Karida said to him. "See it? I'll turn it into dust and we'll make a run for it. Ready?"

He nodded.

It was then that Reki, periodically checking the doors for anyone trying to get away, noticed them, and recognized her enemy.

"Karida!" she yelled, "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Now, now, now!" Karida shrieked, bringing her fists together. Jomei's blocking stone collapsed into sand, releasing a good deal of the water that had been trapped inside the office. The two of them scrambled out and turned left towards the stairs down…only to emerge from the dust cloud and nearly collide with Zoukani, who had wisely shifted his position after the fighting started and barred their way with his spear.

"I surrender!" Ma Chao yelled at him. Karida shoved the steward at the old soldier and made a break for it. Then Zoukani's spear butt tripped her up, and he whirled it around to finish her off.

"She's mine!" she heard Reki shout, and Zoukani stopped. Karida promptly got to her feet and ran for her life, as she had never run before. Ma Chao chose to stay on the floor.

Inside, Takeo, having thrown back Kyuzo easily, and his remaining guards were fighting hard. The governor spotted Xing's diminutive form easily enough and struck without warning. The blast broke the stone armor on Xing's right side, but he used that which remained to fling himself at Takeo. The governor's second blast shattered the remaining stone armor, but then the rebel leader was within spitting distance, blocking further firebending attempts at the source while looking for an opening with his jitte.

Jomei fought back to back with Kyuzo, the firebender deflecting fire blasts while the miner was busy slinging a pile of rubble around the room, this way and that. Siensao abandoned her battered staff for her sword, standing over the remaining waterbender. The resistance fighters were slowly winning out over the flurry of firebending, but it was costing them dearly.

With a frustrated shout, Takeo unleashed a breath of flame. The effort was enough to weaken him. Xing ducked his head and the steel Earth Army helm deflected the blast, though it left the metal blackened and steaming. Takeo did it again, heating the steel red-hot. Xing let out a grunt of pain as the heat began getting through the cloth padding, but he kept on fighting, slamming his jitte into the governor's wrist. Xing reached up with his iron hand and ripped off the scorching helm, smashing it into Takeo's face. The governor let out a yell, but before he could do more than that, Xing closed in again, wielding his searing helm in the iron hand like a club, burning wherever he connected with exposed skin, putting everything into a final effort to keep Takeo on the defensive and stop him from finishing the fight.

Then another great wonder took place. The bloody light faded…as did every other color save black, white, and grey. Only firebending returned color to the world, for the brief moments the flames flared and died in the air. Even the great bolts of lightning that still hammered the Fire Nation were lances of pure white, tinged with grey, and now they came with greater and greater frequency, no longer seeming to care who they struck. The fight was getting stranger by the moment.

* * *

Karida ran as though all the demons of the pit were on her heels through the embattled palace of Jingzao. Twice now she'd run into Fire Army soldiers holding off the rebels and screamed at them to kill the woman following her. The first time, they ignored her. The second time bought her perhaps twenty seconds of lead before Reki killed them. Sobbing in terror, she ran faster, heading for the door to the city walls. She found it jammed with Fire Army soldiers in an orderly retreat, heading out across the south wall to the gates and safety. A glance behind showed Reki coming up fast. Karida's mind raced. Try and fight her way out? Try to set them against Reki? She turned and ran down a side passage. The way that the resistance had used to get in to rescue that prisoner should still be safe. She could just dig her way around the door, or better yet, tunnel her way out in a way that Reki couldn't follow. She knew how to get into the secret passage. This was perfect!

She skidded to a halt at the right part of wall and dug her hands into it, ripping outwards. The stone exploded into sand and dust, leaving a gaping hole and she flung herself through, Reki still behind her. The secret passages were still dark, but she took the turns and stairs at breakneck speed, too scared to stop and try to lose Reki in the blackness. Besides, the swordswoman would know where she was. She always knew. Finally, after an eternity of running, she reached the door and dove forward, tunneling for dear life under the iron frame. Squeezing her way out, she stuffed more stone-turned-to-sand into the opening and ran down the ancient passage, her hopes rising at last. _Just a little more and I'm safe!_

The tunnel emerged about half a mile south of the walls, just inside the forest there, the entrance concealed under a layer of grass and earth. The hatch practically exploded outwards in a great dust cloud that vanished almost instantly in the rain and Karida leapt out. She promptly tripped on a tree root and splashed into the mud. Her vision was flickering at the edges from her flight and her sword fell from her grasp. She struggled up to her hands and knees, distractedly noticing that color had returned to the world. If she could just make it a little further…

Then she saw at least three spear points swing down and people stepping out from behind the trees.

"Ha! Our first catch of the day, looks like!" one of them said.

"No," she wheezed, raising a hand, "I'm just a prisoner, but I escaped in the fighting! Look what they did to me!" She pushed back the wrappings about her face to reveal her scars. The lead spearman raised an eyebrow.

"Shit, they did a number on you there. Well, whoever you are, you'd better stay with us for now."

"No, no, I need to get out of here, I need to leave!" Karida protested, standing up and staggering off again, in what direction she neither knew nor cared. Then she heard a laugh that made her stop in her tracks and turn around, involuntarily.

"Hello again," Wu Dai said, leaning on a spear with his four-fingered hand as he walked forward. He was holding his trademark cleaver in his good hand and had a smile on his face. "Last time we met, I was lying down on cold iron and you were watching some fool who thought he was a torturer go to work on me. I think turnabout is fair game, don't you?"

Karida let out a pitiful whimper as he checked the cleaver's edge.

"Stop!"

Wu Dai turned to see Reki, standing at the exit of the tunnel, chest moving like a bellows, drenched with the rain, and a cold light in her eyes.

"She is mine," the swordswoman growled. Lightning flashed once more over the city, making her a black shadow. Wu Dai stepped back without a word, his face growing solemn in the presence of such powerful intent. Reki drew her sword, which gleamed wetly in the glowcrystal light as she paced towards her old enemy.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Karida screamed at the rebels. "This is murder! I surrender!" She felt pathetic even for saying it.

Wu Dai laughed uproariously.

"We don't need a desert rat as a prisoner. Come on, Reki, give us a show!" Raucous cheers and whistling came from the other rebels.

Karida snatched up her own sword and charged, screaming, hoping Reki was tired enough to give her a chance.

The other woman blocked her swing, too slow to dodge, and force of the blow sent her to one knee. Reki swung her sword like a scythe and forced Karida back a step as the tip whistled by her gut. Karida tried to finish the fight with a powerful thrust, but Reki parried with a grunt of effort, the two swords spitting sparks as they slid past one another. She thrust out with her forward foot, falling into a split that took her head out of the path of Karida's blade. Karida tried to recover, but Reki's foot hooked her ankle and pulled, toppling her sideways. Reki rolled to her feet as Karida scrambled to do the same, and they faced off again.

Karida struck with a vertical slash and Reki blocked again, the two women striving to shove each other back. Karida was stronger, and Reki's feet slid back, carving furrows into the muddy ground. She tried to knock Karida's sword out of her hand with a sharp kick. Karida caught her ankle with one hand and yanked with manic strength. As Reki fell, Karida stepped on her sword wrist, pinning it to the ground. Reki slung a handful of mud into Karida's face, blinding her. Karida stabbed anyway. Reki shoved the blade aside with her bare hand, blood trickling down the steel, then grabbed Karida's sword hand and twisted violently. Karida released Reki's ankle and grabbed her neck, doing her level best to choke the swordswoman to death. Reki kept twisting and twisting at Karida's wrist, even as her vision began going black at the edges, and finally the other woman had to move off her sword hand. Reki brought the blade around at Karida's head. Whether by luck or skill, she was able to mostly dodge. But only mostly, and Reki felt the strike connect. Karida screamed.

Reki slowly got to her feet as Karida collapsed, dropping her sword, clawing at her face, trying to stop the tide of red that was seeping through her fingers.

"_Now_ you have lost an eye!" Reki snarled, her voice raspy from the strangling. "It took longer than I promised, but I have kept my word! Now it ends!"

Karida dove into the river.

Reki lunged, cursing, but only scored a long cut. Her enemy was out of sight in seconds in the raging flood, leaving Reki standing there, frustrated once again. Another failure.

"Why can't you just die already?!" she shrieked up at the sky, the force of her rage making Wu Dai duck back behind a tree. Thunder was her answer. Her part of the fight was over.

* * *

Cursing as Reki ran off after Karida again, Jomei yanked his hand back and the fist-sized chunk of stone caught the firebender he was fighting in the back of the knee, knocking him off balance. One of the rebel swordsmen stabbed at his side. A spearman thrust from the back. The man got the swordsman with a fire kick, took a deep cut in his arm from the sword, and then stumbled and fell with a splash. Jomei took another step forward and brought his hammer down. The man rolled aside, right into another thrust from the spearman, this one through the chest. Finally, he stayed down. Jomei glanced around, looking for the next foe, but didn't find one. The only fight still ongoing was the one that counted, between Takeo and Xing. Looked like Takeo was getting the worst of it, but that could change.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than it _did_ change.

Takeo finally got an opening and tripped up Xing, sending the rebel leader tumbling back. He rolled backwards to one knee, only to find Takeo with a fire blast ready. Then Kyuzo attacked again.

The firebender's first strike was a two-handed blast that punched through Takeo's hasty defense and sent him staggering back towards the open window. Xing, surprised, did not press his advantage, wary of getting caught between two firebenders. Takeo saw Kyuzo coming at him again and threw a fire blast of his own. Kyuzo caught the flames. That was the simplest explanation. He flung his hands upwards and the fire curled away from him, back on itself, into a swirling mass of red and gold, growing bigger the more fire Takeo fed into it, with Kyuzo's nimble fingers flying. He moved like a waterbender. Then he swept his hands forward and all that fire roared back towards the governor, as powerful as the man had made it, again breaking through his defense and pushing him back.

"You miserable traitor!" Takeo snarled, visibly pained from the blows. "Whatever they've promised you, you'll never live to see it!"

"Neither will you!" Kyuzo answered.

Takeo put all his power into his next attack, an inferno that poured forth like the river below. Kyuzo braced himself and met it head on in the same technique he had used before. The raging flames curled and curved away from his face, though they came close enough to singe skin, swirling and gathering into a miniature sun. The fighters in the battle below looked up as rays of light shone out into the black storm from the top of the tower, making it a beacon in the night that returned color, if faintly, to the world below. Much of the fighting slowed and stopped as they craned their necks, straining to see what was happening, sensing that the fight was about to be decided.

Takeo was sweating, still maintaining the river of fire and still Kyuzo's arms moved gracefully, keeping all of it in check, even as he had to clamp his eyes shut to avoid being blinded by the brightness, as did everyone else. Then, at long last, Takeo's attack flared, faded, and went out, leaving him gasping. He opened his eyes. All he could see was light. Kyuzo's hands swept forwards.

A mass of fire, so intense it was almost a solid, white-hot beam, punched through the high window, blasting out into the stormy skies. It lasted only a short time, leaving afterimages on the eyes of all who saw it. Then it faded.

Atop the tower, everyone stared to see Takeo still standing there. He was burned and blackened, but had somehow deflected enough of the strike to stay alive, if only just. One hand was clamped onto the jagged edge of where the window used to be as he struggled for balance. A hand reached out and caught him. By the throat. Takeo looked over to see Xing standing there, the cold fingers of his iron hand growing tighter.

"I've come for you," he said conversationally. Then he closed his fist with a sick crunch and the governor of Shaokai passed from the mortal world. Hauling the limp body back into the tower, Xing turned to Kyuzo and saluted him.

"Nice work, soldier," he said. "Take a breather, I've got to go and spread the word down below." He stepped out of the window, carving a path of broken stone down the outside of the tower.

Jomei approached the firebender cautiously.

"Kyuzo," he said quietly, "Whatever you are, you're not Fire Nation anymore. Thanks for that."

"Don't thank me," Kyuzo answered, unusually solemn. "Killing isn't something to be thankful for. Not ever."

Down below, the battle raged on, but now the outcome could not be avoided. The fight was over. Nazaki, upon hearing word that Takeo was dead, led what was left of his troops in a fighting retreat out the south gates, heading for the nearest Fire Nation outpost, vowing that he would be back.

* * *

_Far away, in Jukana, Eska dreamt of a stone sea where mountainous waves raged about her, as she clung to a shrinking iceberg that burned her hands with cold fire. Then, soft silver light suffused the scene and she found herself standing on the high cliffs near Jukana. Down below, the breakers pounded against the stone. The full moon cast its light over a sea like black glass. Siku stood beside her._

_ "Master?" she said. He looked as he had when he first took her in as an apprentice, back when she was a child. Taller, prouder, with streaks of black still in his hair and a kindly smile. "What are you doing here?"_

_ "Time's river flows onwards," he said. "Our paths have drifted apart."_

_ "Master? Did you…did you make your great sacrifice?"_

_ His sad face and tiny nod broke her heart._

_ "It is not, perhaps, what my own master would have wished, this storm I have crafted. Much death will come of it. But also, perhaps, hope for our people in their fight. It is enough."_

_ "So…this is goodbye?"_

_ He looked upwards at the moon._

_ "That much is given to me, to say goodbye, until we meet again. I…I feel as though I should say something, but what can I tell you what I haven't already said? I'm sorry."_

_ Eska too, had no words. She tried to embrace him, but the moment they touched, he faded away._

_ She woke up, back in her own bed in Jukana, knowing the dream was true, and began to cry._

* * *

Siku's storm, its fury all unleashed and expended in a single night, was fading by the next morning. Sunlight pierced through rents in the vanishing clouds, illuminating a city riven by war. Smoke still drifted up from some parts of Jingzao, and the damage to the palace and the city walls stood out starkly. They were still burying the dead. Over a thousand of Xing's veterans had given their lives, along with thousands more of the people of the city. But the green Earth Kingdom banner flew from the high tower of the palace, and the former governor's head was on a spike over the south gates.

Spike's eyes slowly opened and the world came into focus. She heard the groans of the wounded and the reassurances of healers and recognized the place, if not exactly where she was. Another healing house. So they'd won. Then she remembered why she was lying here and fear struck her as never before. Did waterbending still work? She struggled to raise her head.

"Easy there," Kyuzo said, coming into view as he leaned over her. She turned her head to see him sitting at her side. He was grinning again. "Welcome back. You had us a little worried there."

"How bad?" she asked in a papery, painful whisper.

"Well, you broke an arm, a leg, the fire blast went through all your furs and burned your stomach pretty bad, and you had a concussion. They told me it was a miracle you didn't break anything in your spine. Just a few fractures. As soon as those waterbender healers have time, they can speed along the breaks and fractures so it'll only take a couple weeks, and they've already taken care of the burn, mostly, and the concussion, so nothing's messed up with your head. No worries, Spike. You'll be fine. We won the fight. Jingzao's ours now."

"Water…bending?"

"Oh, yeah, that weird thing with the red light and then the colors and everything." Kyuzo shrugged. "I've no idea what happened, but the word from the shamans and other spiritual folk around here is that something bad happened to the Moon Spirit. No specifics just yet, but I guess it worked out all right in the end. Waterbending is back up and running fine, too."

He paused a moment, then said in a monotone voice, "Please, don't jump for joy. You'll hurt yourself."

"Hoped…" she cleared her throat and spoke slightly louder. "Hoped…I was…dead. Wouldn't…have to…fight…anymore."

Kyuzo was scared, not only for Spike but because what she said didn't surprise him.

"Yeah, I can see why. Well…look, you could always come with us. We could use a waterbender, and I'm sure Xing wouldn't mind, since it'll take you a while to get back into the game. You wouldn't have to fight this war anymore."

Spike slowly shook her head. That too, didn't surprise him.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Someone…has to…fight here. Don't…want…someone else…to end up….like me. Got a….mission…to do."

"Okay. Just thought I'd ask. Anything I can do for you?"

Another shake of the head. She closed her eyes.

"All right. I'll stop in to say goodbye before we leave. Take care of yourself, Spike."

* * *

Jomei leaned on the battlements of the southern city walls and looked out over the city he'd wrecked in order to save. He wasn't proud. By now, he had realized something. Victory wasn't nearly as good as he'd thought. Ever. All it meant was that you were still alive when a lot of other people weren't, and your side would be looking to fight some more soon enough to take advantage of that victory. Unless the war ended, of course.

Reki stood beside him, with a similar expression on her face.

"She has to be dead," Jomei said without conviction. "She can't swim, she was hurt bad and exhausted, the river was in flood, and there was a godsdamned lightning storm going on."

"Jomei," Reki said, "I have made and killed many enemies. I follow one rule regarding their fate. Did I see a body? If not, they are still alive and will cause me trouble later. To assume otherwise is a deadly mistake."

"Okay, fine, but supposing she is still alive, she couldn't have gotten too far. I'll bet she's holed up somewhere downriver at some village or town or other along the banks. We could just slip by the Fire Nation and check it out. We're heading that way anyway, Siensao said. We could find her easily. Then you kill her, you take a good look at the body, and we can have done with this whole damn business. I mean, as long as she's alive, she'll keep coming after you. I'm not exactly in favor of killing someone while they're down, but after all the shit she's put us through, I don't think we've got a lot of options. If we wait for her to get better, she'll get away."

Reki sighed, bowing her head.

"She has the right to seek revenge. What I did to her is unforgivable and deserves death. But I cannot die just yet. No. To kill in battle is one thing. To kill a helpless opponent outside of battle, for a good cause, is another. But to kill a helpless opponent outside of battle for a cause that you know to be wrong…that I will not do. For whatever reason, I have been given a chance to live. How can I deny that same chance to her?"

"I agree," Kyuzo said. The firebender walked up to the two of them, that silly grin back on his face. "Siensao gave me a chance, even if it was for her own reasons."

"Hey, that reminds me, you doing okay?" Jomei asked. "You sure went nuts on Takeo there. I'm surprised to see you in a good mood after everything that's happened here."

Kyuzo nodded, losing most of his smile.

"I'll be fine. I just sort of…lost my temper. It's a common problem among firebenders these days, it seems like. All that focusing on your anger and everything, probably. But it usually doesn't happen to me, not even in the middle of a fight. It certainly didn't happen back during the outpost raid up by Jukana."

"Yeah, I've never seen firebending like that. Where'd you learn it?"

Kyuzo held up a familiar scroll.

"I've been meaning to return this to you. Your scroll has a lot of good information about adapting waterbending techniques to firebending, and I've had the last month to practice with Spike. She's been teaching me waterbending forms and I've been trying to incorporate them into firebending moves. I think I told you a long time ago, I'm not all that powerful a firebender, but I'm good at controlling it. It isn't something I was proud of back in the Fire Nation, but actually, I was the best recruit in my unit at control."

"Huh," Jomei said, nonplussed. "That old thing is more useful than I thought. I'll have to start reading it again. Speaking of which, any news on Spike? I saw her take a bad hit there when that weird…thing happened and waterbending stopped working."

"I checked in with her earlier this morning," Kyuzo said shortly. "She'll recover."

"Then all that's left to do is to finalize the plans for our departure," Siensao said as she, Zoukani, and Xing rose up in front of them on an earthbending-powered lift. Jomei saluted the general and Reki bowed slightly. Kyuzo made the sign of the flame.

"At ease," Xing said with a wave of his hand. "No need to stand on ceremony after all you've done for the resistance. Kyuzo, for your actions, I'm promoting you to Sergeant and awarding you the Order of the Green Earth and Yellow Sun medal. It's the second highest award for bravery the Earth Kingdom has to offer and is awarded for 'outstanding contributions to national defense in a time of foreign invasion.'" He held out a jade-and-brass medal with a pin to attach it to a uniform. "I'd say killing Takeo qualifies."

Kyuzo took the medal, but shook his head.

"I'll probably just toss it in the river. I don't deserve a medal for what I've done here."

Xing shrugged, taking no offense.

"Neither do I, but if against all odds I do win back this province, I'll probably get one all the same. It's what the people expect. It's why everyone in the squad with us who fought in that office is getting the Order of the Stone and Banner, Ninth Class. That includes you, Jomei, and you, Reki. Siensao, as a civilian, I can't give you a military decoration, but I can give you the Order of the Brilliant Star. I don't actually have any of those to give you, we have a lot of things for the craftsmen to do besides making medals, but I had Kyuzo's worked up this morning, since it's the most important one. Do what you like with it."

Kyuzo tucked the medal into a pocket.

"If it'll help me somehow, I might as well keep it, I guess. Thank you, sir."

"I should be thanking you, Sergeant. So, Siensao tells me you all have to be off."

"Yeah," Jomei said, nodding. "We're heading to Ba Sing Se."

"Well, officially, I'm assigning Siensao to go and solicit support from the Earth King and the armies on the other side of the Fire Nation lines and keeping you assigned to guard her. You'll get papers to identify yourselves as soldiers of the Earth Kingdom to anyone it'll count with, on important business from me. I was thinking of assigning one of my people to keep an eye on you. Spike, maybe? You've worked with her before, you seem to get along well enough."

"She doesn't want to leave, sir," Kyuzo said, earning a glare from Siensao, but it didn't seem to faze him.

Xing's face grew solemn.

"I know. None of my people would. That's what makes them heroes. But what she wants doesn't matter. And by the same token, I'm sure she'd rather go with you than make someone else suffer by doing so, and a waterbender would round out the elements for your group. Flexibility is always good."

"I just thought I'd make sure you knew what she wanted, sir," Kyuzo said, bowing his head. "Respectfully, I disagree. What we want always matters. It's how we can put such a high value on doing what's needed instead."

Xing raised an eyebrow.

"A little insolence is refreshing, but don't overdo it with any officer other than me, they won't thank you for it. Though you have a point. So I'll leave it to you. Would you rather have Spike or another waterbender that you wouldn't feel as bad about ordering to leave this province?"

Kyuzo, eyes wide, looked to the others.

"If we're getting a babysitter, might as well pick the demon we know," Jomei said. "At least she isn't likely to get argumentative."

"She has endured a great deal in this war," Reki said. "It would be a mercy to let her rest for a little while, relatively speaking."

"I can't make a decision for you," Siensao said.

Zoukani, as always, remained silent.

Kyuzo sighed. _She'll never forgive me for this. I'm tired of impossible choices._

"All right. She can come."

Xing nodded in approval.

"You're learning fast. Good. Siensao?"

"Yes, sir?"

The look the general gave her was an intense one.

"If at all possible, get help for Shaokai. I _might_ be able to win this, but the slightest aid from the east could make the difference, and you can talk to the people who matter in the capital."

"You have my word, general," she answered, bowing formally.

"Your family's word is known to be good, so I will accept that and not expect too much. It's been good working with you, Siensao. If you ever need a job, you're always welcome in my army."

He hopped back onto the stone lift.

"Goodbye," he said simply. Then he sank out of sight, back into the war.

Jomei turned to face the south. _I never thought I'd see Ba Sing Se. And I never thought I'd dread getting there as much as I do. I thought Omashu had all the answers. I doubt this place is any different._

* * *

**Omake**

Xing: At last, Jingzao is free again! [turns to Min Lang] Now, what's the progress on those conscriptions I asked you about the other day? Oh, and how soon can we get the war taxes enacted?

Min Lang [thinking]: *sigh* I was better off with Takeo. At least he was better-looking.

Siensao: At last, we can get out of this nowhere province and back to our goal! [turns to Kyuzo] Now, just so you know, Ba Sing Se is probably worse than Jingzao in terms of getting caught and staying hidden from your enemies, so listen closely.

Kyuzo [thinking]: *sigh* I was better off in Omashu. At least Jura was kinder.

Reki: At last, I got rid of that annoying fangirl! Or maybe Karida! Either way, things are better! [turns to Jomei] Well, that's what I'd like to say, but actually I'm pretty sure they're both alive.

Jomei [thinking]: *sigh* I was better off with Kei Dao getting in my way. Wait…no, no I wasn't, I always hated him and Reki wasn't allowed to try and kill him.

Karida [now sporting an eye patch]: Send a fangirl after me, will you? Oh, now it's personal, Blood Drinker. All I need is a parrot-lizard and then it'll be pirate versus ninja, so we'll have equal power. I won't rest until I have my revenge!

Fangirl: And I won't rest until I see Xing and Siensao get together! It's totally canon!

Xing [to Min Lang]: There's just one more thing I need your help with. How can I write a delicate response to a message like this? [holds up a picture of Siensao in a provocative pose with a little note in one corner reading 'Call me!' and a phone number.]

Min Lang: *facepalm*


	28. Suffering of the Conquered

A/N: In this chapter, we take a close and introspective look at one of this world's most interesting characters in this world: the canyon guide! For those who are interested, I'm writing a one-shot chapter on his story over in the Temple of the Spirit, my repository of such works. But seriously, thanks to Sylvacoer's magnificent editing skills, we can face the journey to Ba Sing Se. Enjoy the show.

* * *

It was the rainy season in the middle lands of the Earth Kingdom, and one did not so much breathe the air as drink it. In Zha Feng, on the south bank of the Great River, it was particularly bad. The town itself was something new and unpleasant as well. It was the first of the frontier towns, close to the arid borderlands and the desert beyond them, and it was a rough place. The Fire Nation was here in force, and with troopships stopping often, the streets were full of soldiers both green and experienced, making trouble. The tribes of the dry, windy plains to the west stopped in to sell some of their herds and trade for the things they couldn't make for themselves, and they were none too happy with the Fire Nation's attempts to exert control over the region's commerce. The travelers weren't much better, disguised refugees or just simple scum drifting towards a place where they could get away from law, order, and both sides of the war. There were even a few Si Wong tribesmen, mostly exiles with notched ears.

One of them, though, drew more looks than most. Her sun-darkened skin marked her as a true daughter of the sands, and she wore the typical loose brown and white clothes and wrappings of the Si Wong. Unlike the typical tribeswoman, she carried a thick, broad-bladed dao on her back and did not cover her face, save for a brown headband that slanted so as to cover the dark pit where her eye used to be. A network of thin white scars were visible on her face and hands.

One of the Fire Nation soldiers, braver than most, came up from behind on her blind side and tried to trip her. She stopped at once and turned around, one hand going to her sword. The soldier snorted, his fun spoiled, and left disappointed. Karida walked on.

_They always think they're being so clever, going for my blind spot like that. I have ears to hear with and I've been in enough battles to sense an attack coming without sight. Not that I'm complaining, but it was old the second time someone tried it._

As she entered the tavern, she headed towards an unoccupied table and, without breaking stride, stepped up onto a chair and from there onto the table itself, turning to face the customers, who looked over, curious.

"I'm looking for someone!" Karida said, raising her voice. "A wanted criminal of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom! She can be known by the two missing fingers on her left hand, her notched ear, and a burn scar like a slash under her left eye. She's traveling with a group. A big earthbender with a warhammer and fur cap, a tall woman with a staff and katana, a firebender who carries explosives, and an old spearman with a great beard. Has anyone seen them?"

One of a group of Fire Nation soldiers at one of the tables stood up.

"Sure, we saw them a while back," he said. "Come on over, we'll tell you about it."

Karida hopped down and took the seat that he offered, the rest of the tavern going back to their own business.

"When did you see them and where were they going?"

"Well, first off, let me just say I don't think you're going to collect on the reward. That woman just felt dangerous to me," the soldier said, leaning back in his chair. "But they passed through here about a month ago. I remember it pretty well because that firebender went and beat me at a hot pepper-eating contest. Little rat-viper must have a steel throat. I don't know where it was they were heading in the end, but they were looking for one of the guides across the Great Divide to the east. My guess is that they were heading for Ba Sing Se, because every refugee that comes through here gets around the restriction on civilians traveling south of the coast or east past the Serpent's Pass by crossing that canyon." He chuckled. "The ones who don't get eaten by canyon crawlers have to go from town to town across the frontier and hope they don't get caught in a sandbender caravan raid or get cheated or killed in one of those miserable hellholes. I'd go with life under the Fire Nation any day."

"I'll need a canyon guide, then," Karida said.

The soldier shook his head.

"Waste of time if you ask me, but it's your funeral, even if you catch up to them. That woman was a killer."

"So am I."

He chuckled.

"Let me put it this way, lady, if I wanted someone to watch my back in a fight, I wouldn't go with you. I'd want the son of a bitch who gave you those scars. Anyone who still walks around with a sword after that is just too dumb to live much longer."

The soldiers' mocking laughter followed her as she stood and walked away.

Luck was on her side. She found the same canyon guide who had aided Reki's group, an older man with bushy white hair and mustache, an enormous traveling pack, hardwood walking stick, and battered straw hat in the style of the western plains. He took her appearance in stride.

"You heading home to the desert?" he asked. "Dangerous times to run into the wrong tribe. Looked like they might actually hold off on the fighting maybe half a year ago, but now they're back to it, worse than ever. Shame."

"I was the one who created that peace and then destroyed it," Karida said, his friendly remarks hurting so much more than the soldiers' laughter. The guide's eyebrows went up.

"Sounds like quite a story," was all he said.

"It is. Maybe someday I'll tell it. Right now, I just need to find someone – a woman. She would have been part of a group that hired you a month or so ago."

He regarded her steadily.

"Well, I'm not one to turn down a paying customer, but the lady you're talking about already had it pretty rough, and I'm not one to add to other people's problems, either. Mind telling me why you're going after her? For that matter, I don't even know your name. Most desert folk are pretty flowery about introductions."

Karida blushed, knowing her error.

"I'm sorry. I've been away from home too long. My name is Karida. And you are?"

"Just call me Guide. Everyone else does. I've done this job so long, sometimes I wonder if I was born doing it."

"But you have a name, don't you?"

"Yep. But no need to bore you with my own stories, go ahead with yours."

His kindly smile never wavered, but the message was clear and Karida didn't push him further. Many people came to the borderlands for a new life and gave up the names they were born with. Whatever his story was, she wouldn't hear it.

"I'm not looking for this woman to kill her," Karida said. "I've tried. It can't be done, not by me. I need to find her to say…I'm sorry. It's a long story."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Well, just start at the beginning and go from there. There's no hurry."

* * *

_One month ago…_

"How long do we have to stay here?" Jomei asked Siensao in a low voice.

"Only until we find a guide across the canyon," she reassured him. "There are always guides to be found here, so I'm told, and the best place to look is…right there." She pointed towards a tavern whose wooden sign, though half-rotten with the damp, clearly said, _The Badger-Mole's Den_. Under it, a smaller, newer sign read _Fire Water sold here._

"What's fire water?" Kyuzo wanted to know.

"Ordinary water mixed with the juice from a certain cactus," Reki told him. "It gives you strange visions and makes you feel happy about everything for a while. It is addictive and dangerous. The desert tribes use the juice in some spirit rituals, including a newly blooded warrior's initiation. After that, I swore never to drink it again. I acted like a fool for hours afterwards."

"How, exactly, did you act?" Kyuzo asked, grinning. "I mean, come on, I need details."

"No."

"Actually, I agree," Jomei said, smiling as well. "I'll drink the stuff myself if you'll spill the beans, then you can tell me what I did later on. Fair trade, right?"

Reki sighed.

"I should not have mentioned it."

"Probably not," Siensao said, thoroughly amused by the whole affair. "Let's just see about getting a guide."

Securing their ostrich-horses – a parting gift from General Xing, the great beasts were restless after the boat trip and didn't like being tied – they entered the smoky depths of the tavern. It was crammed full of people, travelers and plains tribesmen, mostly, and several spirited games of dice were going on, along with a few matches of Adding Up, a drinking game that involved simple mathematics, so once you lost, you usually kept on losing. Siensao led them to a table, then once they were seated, headed over to the bar and started chatting with the bartender.

_Bam!_

About that time, a group of Fire Nation soldiers kicked open the door and came walking in, most of them clearly drunk.

"See!" their leader exclaimed. "I told you guys I knew where it was! This here, this is a place where people understand how to respect the Fire Nation!"He planted both hands on the nearest table and leaned in towards the patrons, who looked like a refugee family. "Hey, you guys! You know how things are, right?"

They nodded.

"Good! Then you'd love to buy some hard-working soldiers a few drinks and a bite to eat, wouldn't you? Wouldn't want us to get irritable, would you?" One of his comrades cracked his knuckles significantly and the terrified refugees shook their heads. Jomei stood up and headed over, followed closely by Kyuzo and Reki. Siensao watched them go, sighing.

"Hey!" the miner snapped at the lead soldier. "You want to drink, pay for it yourself! Or if you already spent all your pay, scram! Nobody wants freeloaders hanging around."

"Oh yeah? And who's going to make us leave, you, dirt-brain?"

"Actually, I am," Kyuzo said brightly. He stepped up on top of a vacant chair and posed dramatically. "I challenge you to a Dragon's Breath Agni Kai for your right to be here!"

Jomei gaped at the man.

"Hey, Kyuzo, let's not go crazy here, I don't want to fight if I don't have to."

The lead soldier laughed.

"Too late now, dirt-brain, we accept! Name the time and place!"

"Here and now! Prepare yourself for defeat!"

"Jomei, if you had paid attention on the trip to Lumin when Kyuzo was explaining this kind of thing, you would know he is talking about a hot pepper-eating contest," Reki whispered in the miner's ear, and Jomei's shoulders slumped in relief.

"Oh. Well, I guess that's all right," the earthbender murmured, going rather red.

Siensao grinned. _Crisis averted._

While Kyuzo proceeded to make a fool of himself, Jomei found himself scanning the crowd, looking for a certain sandbender's face. He wouldn't put it past her to be up and following them already.

"It takes more than a week and a half to recover from the wounds she had when I last saw her," Reki said quietly to him, as if hearing his thoughts. "And she will never heal from when I gave her those scars. On the inside, they are as bloody as the day they were made, I am sure."

"What happened between you two, anyway?" Jomei asked. "She had to be pretty damn crazy to go after you in the first place, before all of that."

Reki sighed.

"I may as well tell you. It is the next part of my story."

_Reki's raiding parties weren't ambushed often. As a rule, she preferred to do the ambushing herself. But exceptions did happen, like today. And, like today, it meant nothing in terms of victory and defeat. True, she had lost more people than she had wanted to, but what of it? There were always more warriors hungry for blood who would follow her. Now, only a few survivors of the ambushers remained, back to back as they stood within a circle of Reki's people._

_ Reki stepped forward out of the group, idly twirling her bloody sword._

_ "You've showed more spirit than most of our enemies lately," she said warmly. "Do you have some particular reason to hate me, or is it just that I've killed someone you cared about?"_

_ "You betrayed me!" their sandbender screamed. "You betrayed all of us!"_

_ Reki's hand swung up to point at her, grinning._

_ "So you're their leader? Kill the rest, but take her alive. I have questions to ask."_

_ Reki took pride in keeping her interrogation skills sharp, pun very much intended, and took care to make sure everyone knew that. So when she walked into the tent where the sandbender awaited her, securely tied, the prisoner knew exactly what was going to happen. Reki sat down beside her and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands and elbows on the table._

_ "So, then. You said I betrayed you but I don't believe we've met before. I don't make a practice of swearing oaths I don't intend to keep, so how exactly did I betray you?"_

_ The sandbender said nothing. She wasn't bad looking, but neither was she particularly good looking. Plain brown hair, much like Reki's own._ _Sandbender, guessing from the way she moved; probably stronger than most, as leader of a band that could ambush the Blood Drinker's crew. Unremarkable otherwise. Plenty of room for improvement. Reki chuckled to herself._

_ "So you want to do this the hard way? I just love the hard way. So much more entertaining and productive. There's so much that could be done to…enhance your appearance. But fair warning, I don't like to be interrupted when I'm working, so if I do start working on you, the gag isn't coming off until I'm finished, however long that might be. Could be weeks, in your case. Weeks of my tender ministrations." She leaned in closer. "So I'll give you one last chance. Talk to me, or suffer and then talk to me anyway. I know which option I'd pick. How did I betray you?"_

_ The sandbender's nerve broke, giving way to the raw hatred within her._

_ "Before they called you the Blood Drinker, you were an inspiration! Do you know how many women wanted to be strong and brave like you?! How much fighting you touched off?! You could have started something! You could have made the women of the desert proud!"_

_ "Hm. I do recall hearing of a few such incidents," Reki murmured. "Mostly in the context of the reality of women as warriors. Sooner or later, most of them will be on the losing side of a fight, and it's never pretty when that happens. If you can't afford to pay the price, you shouldn't try to become a warrior in the first place. Why should I care what happens to fools?"_

_ "Because now that you've gone mad, we're treated even worse than before! Even sandbenders like me are barely tolerated! And when the men get angry that they can't beat you, they take it out on the women they can beat! You had our hope in your hands and you smashed it to pieces, you bitch! For the good of the desert, for all the women whose fates are your fault! That's why I tried to kill you! That's how you betrayed me! There, is that what you wanted to hear?"_

_ Reki snorted._

_ "Please. That's not a good enough reason to want me dead. It irritates me just hearing it. But don't worry." She smiled and whispered into Karida's ear. "I can fix that. I'll give you a much better reason to fight me. I've never had a woman worth fighting before and I'd like you to be the first. You need…motivation."_

"That is how she received the scars she bears today," Reki finished. "And why she has the right to vengeance. But she will never have it. The next time we meet, if the spirits are just, I will finally kill her and end this sad story. Death would be a mercy."

Jomei shook his head.

"Reki…what happened? Why aren't you the Blood Drinker anymore? Why were you exiled? I just can't explain the difference between the person you were and the person sitting in front of me. You're nothing alike."

"That is the final part of my story," Reki said, looking afraid. "And I will tell it to you, I promise. But not yet."

"Then when?" Jomei asked quietly.

Reki met his eyes steadily.

"Not yet."

* * *

The canyon guide scratched his head in consternation.

"Well, I can see how you'd want to kill someone like that. But you say you want to apologize? That don't make much sense to me."

"I tried to kill her three times and each time I came away worse for it," Karida said, not without bitterness. "The last time was when I lost my eye. I thought I was dead. That was when things started changing."

* * *

Karida woke up. This, in itself, was strange. When she dove into the freezing, roiling waters of the Jidai River, she had been sure death waited for her there, but a better death than that at the hands of the Blood Drinker. Now, as she drifted into consciousness, she saw the interior of a small hut and knew she was alive. A faint groan escaped her lips. One half of her vision was black and she felt the press of bandages about her head. She tried to move, but her body simply wouldn't respond, all she could do was twitch a finger or two. Everything hurt, and she had a pounding headache.

"Ah, you're awake!" a voice exclaimed, and its owner stepped into her line of sight. He was an elder, his entirely grey hair and weathered features were proof of that, though said hair was unusually short. He wore a commoner's clothes and woven straw sandals. His grey eyes were bright as he smiled down at her.

"I was beginning to fear you would never wake up," he said, sitting down next to her. "Please, don't try to move. Here." He picked up a cup of water and gently lifted up her head so she could sip from it.

"Do you think you can speak?"

She cleared her throat, the effort sending a burst of pain through her body, and her voice was weak, a papery whisper, but it was audible.

"Yes…"

She remembered why she could no longer see out of one eye and the knowledge shattered what little will she had left. Unbidden, tears welled up from her good eye and red streaks seeped out from under the bandages on the other side of her face. She closed her eye. _That's it. I'm done. This is as far as I go and it wasn't far enough. It was all for nothing. I'm just a failure, nothing more._

"I'm afraid I can do nothing more for the pain," her caretaker apologized softly. "But is there anything else I can do for you?"

Karida opened her eye and looked at him.

"Kill me," she whispered.

That surprised him, but he recovered quickly, shaking his head.

"No. And I won't allow you to waste all my work either. You're going to live or I'll know the reason why not."

Another day passed before Karida could answer that question. She had remained silent and cooperative, regaining her strength and eating something besides soup and water. All that time, the elder never made any demands of her or asked questions beyond what was needed for him to continue tending her many wounds. It was the late afternoon, with sunlight slanting in through the single window, when she spoke again.

"You asked why I want to die," she said.

"I did," he agreed, walking over and sitting down again.

She slowly raised a hand to indicate her missing eye.

"That. I'll never be able to kill her with that. I'll never be a warrior again."

He didn't even ask who 'her' was.

"Death and fighting are not things to be desired in life. You should know that better than most. Neither of those are good reasons to want to die. You either need a better reason or to find something worth living for."

"But she needs to die. She deserves to die!"

"You are a warrior? You have killed many people, perhaps?"

"What of it?"

"Then some might say you too deserve to die for all the lives you have taken."

"It's not the same thing! She killed hundreds! She tortured people into madness! She drank the blood of the fallen!"

"That is merely a question of scale. One or a hundred, a life is still a life, and to take one the greatest sin one can commit. In that respect, you are both equally guilty. And your reasons, are they truly any better? Are vengeance and death are the only things you can see? Why should you presume to live if she dies? Are you any better than her?"

Karida was silent. Death was a fact of life, that was what they were taught in the desert. The death of an honored warrior was preferable to the death of a criminal. _And that's what Reki is, a criminal, all the things I've done, it was to bring her to justice! I acted for honor's sake, all of the things I've done, everything I've sacrificed… everyone I've sacrificed… like she sacrificed them. It was worth it to her, that's what made her a criminal! But what I did… what I did…_ She stopped, dizzy for a moment, blood-drenched shadows of the dead, fallen comrades and enemies alike, flickering in the darkness of her dead eye. _Was it worth it? Were they worth it? I followed her down her path, surpassed her, even, I thought, and became… became what? What… what am I?_ In the shock of her latest defeat, she was confronting truths she had been avoiding for a long time and she didn't like what she saw.

"I'll leave you to reflect on this," the elder said, withdrawing.

* * *

The Great Divide was deceptive. Its vast reaches tricked the eye, making distances hard to measure. From atop the edges of the cliffs, miles upon miles of rocky waste and jagged hills looked so small and easy to traverse. Also, as one descended to the canyon floor, the heat soared, going from pleasantly warm atop the cliffs to a scorching hot baking stone at the bottom, sending waves of heat shimmering across the dry, cracked earth. The only way to travel was to find shelter during most of the day and continue in the evening. It left lots of time for storytelling.

Karida and the guide were dug into the rock in an earthbent cave, just deep enough to keep out most of the heat. He was the only one who could find the threadbare trail to follow, often with only a glowcrystal torch to light the way, as the thunderheads above them blocked the stars. The constant rains made flash floods a mortal threat hovering over them and Karida kept one ear open for the rush of water, a sound that frightened her more than it used to.

"If we can tunnel into the stone and block the way behind us," she said, "why couldn't we bring food?"

The guide, reclining against the cool stone, chuckled.

"Them crawlers burrow through solid rock. If we'd dug much further, we probably would've hit one of their nests. Once they smell food, nothing stops'em getting to it. Never fear, it's only three days. You won't die. Best to try and take your mind off it. I admit, I'm pretty curious about what happens next in your story. You must've found a reason to live, since you're here."

"It didn't happen all at once," Karida said, casting her mind back to the peaceful river village.

* * *

As a sandbender of the Si Wong Desert, Karida was required to fight. She had gone on raids. She had faced down Reki the Blood Drinker four times, despite her fear, which was three more than most of Reki's opponents could say. And yet here she stood, terrified beyond reason, by the sight of children. The only thing keeping her from turning and running back inside the elder's house was the presence of the man himself beside her. She no longer had her old desert clothes, and Earth Kingdom commoner's dress didn't hide the face or hands, leaving her scars bare for the world to see, as the village children looked on, watched over by their parents.

"I feel sick," she murmured to the elder.

"Just say hello and we'll send them on their way. Show them that you're a friend," he replied.

She hesitantly raised a hand, then fell back into the formal manner of the desert, taking refuge in the ironclad customs that had guided her for so long. She bowed low, palms together.

"Peace be upon you and Shenshai's mercy and blessings," she said. "This humble servant is grateful for your hospitality and will repay all that you have given tenfold. I owe you my life, and so we are bound by blood. Your enemies are my enemies and your friends are my friends. This I swear." The old words lent her strength, and she meant every bit of what she said.

Prompted by their parents, the children returned her bow and chorused a thank you. They still stared, but the tense atmosphere was gone. Now there were grins appearing, and the elder spoke true when he said they would soon be gone, either to chores or to play. But their parents came forward next, offering their own greetings, words of comfort and promises of welcome. Some of them turned away, muttering things Karida didn't want to hear, but most were kind to her. It was a new experience for the sandbender. In the desert, she had known little but contempt, fear, and dislike from all that she met. After Reki had finished with her, she had considered such things all that she deserved, until she had her revenge. This was different. It made her think. Maybe she didn't want to die just yet.

It took her another week to bring up the issue with the elder again, and during that time, she slowly regained her strength and took to practicing the sword again. Skills dulled without constant sharpening, the same as a blade's edge, and she expected trouble always. She had just returned to the elder's hut from one of her practice sessions. He was at home, chopping firewood. Seeing her approach, he stopped, resting the axe on the ground to bow politely and she returned it.

"I still don't believe people can change," she said. "But…to come across something you've never found before…you don't know how you'll react. And she had never been exiled before. I have met warriors who seemed to be two different people in camp and in battle or on a raid. Perhaps Reki is a different person outside the desert." Now that she thought back, she had missed a lot of things. _The Blood Drinker just didn't act like she does now. I felt it in her battling. The cruelty, the playfulness, and…well…the blood drinking, none of that was there. Why? What's going on in her head? Do I know all I should? I should have seen this before._ It was clear. She had been so focused on vengeance, wanting to meet her tormentor so badly…had she seen what she wanted to see and not what was there? It didn't absolve Reki of her crimes. It did mean that perhaps she didn't need to kill the swordswoman for the sake of the world, only for herself. And if that was the case…was it worth it, dying in a cause that would profit no one?

"And does this different person deserve death?" the elder asked.

"I…don't know," Karida admitted. "I don't know _her_."

"What will you do if she does not, or even if she does? Had you thought of a purpose beyond vengeance?"

Karida sighed, casting her mind back to when she had left the desert for Omashu. It seemed so long ago now.

"I thought I did once. I was going to unite the sandbender tribes and lead them into a glorious new age. Reki told me I was a fool, that the tribes would never put aside their differences and feuds, that an empire began in blood would end in blood soon enough. I'm starting to think she was right, and in any case, I realize now that I gave that up long ago when I went chasing after her and left the tribes to fall back into their hundred little wars. If I ever did catch up to her, I'd have nothing to live for afterwards, even now."

"You should find a new reason to live, then. Think about what you want in life. You never know what you'll find when you look inwards."

* * *

Reki's trail continued on through the borderlands and frontier towns, always faint, but always there, and Karida followed it east, through the fringes of the Si Wong. The latest town was little more than a collection of tents around a small oasis. It was named Nowhere, and Karida knew she would be recognized if she didn't hide her scars. So she did, though it pained her. She didn't want to hide away anymore. She sat inside the largest tent, where an enterprising beetle-head sold water with a drop of cactus juice and such food as he could scrounge up, and listened to a man of the Ghitu Tribe speak of the woman she sought.

"The exile and her companions stayed here only a single night," he said, one of his hands never far from the curved dagger at his side. "They spoke little, and left to the southeast the next day. Yet they were heard discussing their destination, the great city of Ba Sing Se. They meant to seek passage by water at Full Moon Bay. By now, they will have vanished within the maze of that city. To track a man there is impossible, people are as many as grains of sand in the desert. Who can remember even such a woman as that? Better to go back to your tribe, woman, and hope they are desperate enough to have a use for a half-blind sandbender."

Karida handed over the silver coin she had offered for the information without a word, and he took it and left just as quietly.

"He's got a point," the canyon guide remarked from his own seat beside her. "And if she's left Ba Sing Se, how would you know?"

"I could answer that question many ways," Karida replied. "I could say that they have stayed in one place for weeks at a time, so odds are they remain in the city, and probably have not gone far from where they entered, the city being so vast. I could say that as a wanted criminal of the Earth Kingdom, she will be keeping out of sight, so when I begin asking for a Si Wong tribeswoman with a three-fingered hand and a notched ear, those who are helping hide her will hear of it, inform her, and she will find me. But I believe destiny will bring us together no matter what I do there. Our fates are intertwined. She is the test Shenshai has set me." She turned to look at the man. "I might also ask why you are still here."

He waved off the concern.

"Ah, I'm not the sort to let a woman go walking across these parts all by her lonesome. Besides, you still haven't finished that story and I can never resist a good story. I suppose you wound up finding a reason to live, since you're sitting here now. Get to what it was, why don't you?"

Karida bowed slightly, snickering.

"Very well."

* * *

Nearly a month had passed since Karida first washed up next to the village, and she had had plenty of time to think. Time enough to even be a little happy for one of the few times since she was a child. But she was no closer to a good reason to live than when she arrived. That came upon her quite suddenly when she was speaking to one of the village's earthbenders who had taken an interest in sandbending.

"I'm sorry, Yidei, but it's impossible. Sandbending in the Si Wong style is taught only to those born of the desert or to blood brothers, if they can find a willing teacher."

"Why?" the young villager asked, disappointed.

"Because our traditions define us. If we allow others to take them and possibly use them against us, we would lose that which makes us unique."

"But you'd still be better than anyone else at sandbending, unless they spent all their time practicing just that and not regular earthbending. Why not teach others?"

"Whether or not they'd be better isn't the point," Karida said with a sigh. "If others learned our traditions, they would be using our knowledge and skill without understanding their significance or being part of the culture built around them. If you want to learn sandbending, you need to understand the desert and be a part of it. That's only fair, isn't it?"

The teenager thought about it.

"Uh, no, not really. It takes years to learn earthbending, and they'd be living in the desert the whole time anyway. If they wanted to learn sandbending from somewhere else that has a lot of sand, they could just go there. So if your traditions and culture are so great, they'd see that."

"I…grrr! Look, Yidei, even if that was the case, once our students started teaching others, our traditions might become corrupted and changed into something we couldn't approve of, and the traditions are what make sandbending in our style what it is!"

He snorted.

"No wonder people say the desert tribes are stupid. You probably have traditions on how to pick your nose. You can't keep everything the same forever." He wandered off, leaving Karida both offended and dismayed. Though couched in the form of an insult, he had a point.

_I wanted to change the desert once. Some traditions I wanted to change, or even get rid of entirely. I don't know why I keep thinking about that. It was such a stupid dream and I only did it to get back at Reki. So why did the tribes listen to me?_ That one question set off a chain reaction of thought that ran through her mind, faster and faster as she had a realization. _Even if a lot of my peace was bought through duels or fighting, not all of it was. And even though tradition is so important to all the tribes, they were willing to at least talk about changing it. At least some people in every tribe wanted to believe in what I was saying. They wanted to change things. Which means maybe my idea wasn't so stupid after all, even if I didn't see it at the time. Maybe, without even knowing it, I had something, something I always wanted and didn't know I wanted it. Maybe I can get it back. And if I can…Reki and I still have unfinished business._

When she returned to the elder's hut, there was a new energy in her step.

"Though I can never repay your hospitality," she said to him, "I am needed elsewhere and must answer duty's call. Another day dawns and I would not have it find me idle. Yet if ever you wish, you are welcome at my home."

He smiled.

"It seems you have found a reason to live."

"Yes, I have."

"May I ask what it is?"

"My people. We used to be great once. It's time for us to be great again."

"A worthwhile goal. I hope you see it done, and I'm glad your time here has helped you. I worry, though, about your safety. The roads are not safe in these troubled times.

"I have my bending."

"You are skilled with the sword as well, yes?"

Karida shrugged.

"Enough to challenge masters, not to best them."

"Come with me. I have a parting gift for you."

The elder's gift turned out to be a dao, the ancient curved broadsword of the Earth Kingdom. A weapon of less nobility and elegance than the jian, the straight and narrow gentlemen's sword, it was nonetheless a good blade. This one was old and well-used, with scratches marring the flat of the blade, a dented steel pommel missing its stone, and a faded ribbon of threadbare red silk attached to the end of the hilt.

"Where did you get this?" Karida asked him, testing the sword's balance and handling with a few short swings.

"One of the people of this village used to be a soldier in the Earth Army. After he retired, he came here to live quietly and gave this to me for safekeeping. He never asked for it back, and died without children, so I have kept it ever since. If you truly mean to do what you say, I think you are the right person to have it."

Karida checked the sword's edge and found it still plenty sharp.

"A thousand thanks is still not enough to repay you, Huong Zha. You honor this humble warrior with the three-fold gift of steel, trust, and warning, and I accept the three-fold burden of honor, loyalty, and wisdom that you lay upon me. I will give battle only when needful. I will wield this weapon against your foes whenever you have need. I will seek the wisdom to know when not to fight. All these things I swear by Shenshai's fiery eyes, may he judge me harshly if ever I break this oath."

"You're quite welcome," the elder said, chuckling. "I don't mean to offend you, but when it comes to manners, you seem to talk quite a bit."

"It's the custom of the desert only to speak when you have something meaningful to say," Karida said. "Our speech is filled with such rituals to deter people saying things they don't mean. If you're going to say something, you say it right, which means lots of words and promises to remind you of what you're doing. I'm sorry if it offends you."

"Not at all. If more people said only what they meant, the world would be a better place. Or at least, much quieter. I wish you well on your journey."

* * *

The ferry port at Full Moon Bay was a pitiful sight. Crowds of refugees filled the hidden cavern, most of them exhausted and starving. The smell of so many unwashed bodies in the confined space was terrible, and it was hard to say which was worse, the crying of children who didn't know what was going on, or the silence and stares of those who did understand. Then there were those who had lost or never had their passports in the first place, begging and pleading for a place on the next boat, offering everything they had left to send even some of their family on ahead of them to safety. But Earth Kingdom order held sway and though the tears of those denied passage would have moved a stone, they did not move the guards and officials in charge, and the high stone wall between the crowd and the ships was manned in force. Karida thought again of the Fire Nation soldier's words in Zha Feng and agreed with them. _Better life under the Fire Nation than this._

A shove from behind brought her back to reality and she realized it was her turn at the ticket counter.

"Passport!"

Karida handed over a well-worn piece of paper which was carefully examined.

"You are Xu Tong, a watchman of Dao Mai Province? Bah! Who are you trying to fool?! You're from the Si Wong, anyone can see that!"

"I was born in the Si Wong and traveled to Dao Mai where I served as a village watchman," Karida said.

"So you say. What is your business in Ba Sing Se?"

"I'm tracking a criminal wanted in Dao Mai Province and have it on good authority that she is in the city."

The official, a squinting, hard-faced woman, glared at her suspiciously.

"Xu Tong isn't a desert name. And why travel so far for a single criminal? I admire dedication to order, but that's very irregular."

"Xu Tong is the name they gave me when I arrived," Karida said, starting to sweat under the scrutiny. "They liked it better than my original name, so it's the one I registered for the passport under. My parents named me Karida. And this criminal killed many of my friends and I won't rest until she's punished!"

The official looked over the rest of the passport, but could find nothing to object about. The seal was authentic.

"Very well! You have the money?"

Karida handed over the requisite amount of coins, which bit deeply into the supply she had obtained from collecting a few minor bounties along the way here. A stamp smacked down twice and the official handed back the passport and a small slip of paper.

"One ticket! The next boat leaves in an hour. Don't miss it. Next!"

Karida stepped aside, letting out a sigh of relief. She turned to the canyon guide, waiting for her a short ways off.

"I'm glad you came along. I had no idea it would be so difficult to get passage. Do you want this back?"

He shook his head.

"Nah, keep it. I've been carrying that thing around for years ever since I found it on that body out in the canyon and never could find a use for it. Always did wonder what he was doing out there all alone. Ah, well. If you ever get back to the Great Divide, stop by and say hello. Let me know how the apology thing goes, eh? You're a fine storyteller, by the way."

He held out a hand and Karida took it in a firm grasp.

"Goodbye, Guide. May our next meeting be as welcome as when first we met." She looked towards the northeast, towards the distant city beyond the waves, where Reki waited for her. "I have a long way to go still before that day."


	29. Agony of Silence

A/N: And so the Ba Sing Se Arc begins and we descend into intrigue and shadow games, cloak and dagger and so forth, and you can see a little of what goes on behind the scenes in the Earth Kingdom's greatest city. Thanks as always to the incomparable Sylvacoer—I'm running out of positive adjectives there, unfortunately—and I hope you enjoy the show.

* * *

Jomei had imagined Omashu. The reality was everything he'd pictured and more. He had imagined the walls of Ba Sing Se. The reality was beyond imagination.

He and the rest of their little group, on the path from the ferry port to the train station, had just crested the rise of the low hills around the port and looked upon the outer defenses of the greatest city in the world.

The great wall towered above them, rising up from the flat plains that stretched out to either side, vanishing up into the clouds, or so it seemed from where he stood. The building blocks were the size of houses. And it went on forever, over to the horizon, out of his sight.

"The walls of Ba Sing Se are nine hundred feet high and four hundred feet thick at the base," Siensao recited softly in a rote voice. "Earth King Qin Shi, the Builder of the Earth Kingdom, united the dozens of warring states across this continent, thousands of years ago. And from his new realm, he demanded a capital that could never be taken, not by the mightiest army to ever walk the earth, even if it was led by the Avatar himself. Thousands died. Tens of thousands, worked to death in the quarries, tearing down mountains, compacting earth into hard stone to build his walls. It took fifty years before the work was finished, and when it was, permanent towns were established just within the Outer Walls. The soldiers who serve there today are mostly descendants of the original families entrusted with guarding the city from all its foes."

She straightened up, a note of pride entering her voice.

"Since the day they were completed, not one army has breached even the Outer Walls, not until the Dragon of the West, several years ago. But even he could not hold what he had taken and was forced to retreat. A prince of the Fire Nation fell in that battle. You asked me once why I was so confident Ba Sing Se would never fall. This is my answer. The walls of Ba Sing Se are nine hundred feet high."

"I don't know," Kyuzo said, looking worried. "If he got through, others can too. It's my job to _know_ that any defense is breakable and find a way to make that happen. If I had enough blasting jelly, even I could get through. They're incredible, but they don't make me feel safe."

"Walls," Reki muttered. "They rise from a desire to shut away the world beyond them, as if it does not matter. They keep people caged like animals. I do not like cities, and this is the worst of them all."

Spike and Zoukani were silent, but Spike's ice spike stopped spinning across her fingers and she nearly dropped it before she realized what was happening.

"If those are the walls," Jomei finally managed, forced to turn his eyes back to the ground to ease the crick in his neck, "what's the city like?"

Siensao's smile faded.

"Let's worry about catching the next train first. I'll explain on the way."

They did a bit more than simply catch the next train. Siensao handed over quite a bit of money to have a private car added to it at the front, away from the earthbenders driving it from the rear. As the train pulled out of the station, gaining speed, the land inside the Outer Walls was revealed. It was farmland. It was _all_ farmland. There wasn't a square inch that wasn't under cultivation in some way, fed by aqueducts that carried water from who knew how far away? The only place that wasn't a farm was the low mountaintops peeking over the horizon. Omashu was built into a mountain. Ba Sing Se had mountains in its backyard. Jomei again had the sheer size and scale of what they were approaching pounded into his head. He was glad he was sitting down.

"Jomei, if you could close the windows, please?" Siensao asked him, looking solemn.

The earthbender grasped the little stone bits attached to the wooden shutters and shut away the outside with a swing of his hands.

"Thank you," she said with a nod. "Now, I've kept you all in the dark this time for a good reason. The less you know, the less you can give up if captured. I don't mean that as an insult. I know none of you would want to betray us. But you wouldn't have a choice in the matter. So long as we were outside Ba Sing Se, it was even safer for you if you didn't know what the city is like, it would have made you seem less suspicious and dangerous. But now that we're here, you'll find out soon enough anyway. So listen closely, and I'll explain."

Kyuzo found himself leaning forward, his heart beating faster. _Why can't they just have regular lanterns instead of glowcrystals? All the green lighting makes everything look creepy._

Siensao took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se."

The merchant spoke for an hour or more, laying out in precise, blunt terms the history of the city's current situation, how things stood, and what it would entail for them while they lived inside the walls. When at last she stopped, for a while, the only sound was the sliding of stone as the train flew onwards and the faint rush of wind.

"Let me get this straight," Jomei said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This Grand Secretary guy, Long Feng, has managed to keep the whole war a secret to most of the city, rules the rest through fear, controls access to the Earth King, who's just a dancing skunk-bear at this point, and brainwashes anyone who speaks out or who he thinks is a threat to the city's order. Does that about cover it?"

Siensao considered answering honestly, concluded it would take too long and accomplish little, and nodded.

"Yes, it does. So now you understand why I can't tell you more of my plans. If you were taken by the Dai Li, you'd tell them everything whether or not you wanted to. There are options, but you won't like them and they aren't relevant just yet."

"The greatest city in the world, huh?" the miner muttered, shaking his head.

"When we first met, you asked me about it," she said. "It took a while, but now you understand why there's no truth to that saying."

"_This_ and things like this are why I will never accept cities," Reki said in a low, dangerous voice. "They corrupt everything they touch, people are given power who should never be anywhere near it, money rules your life, and they give rise to the worst in people."

"So basically, it's like the Fire Nation," Kyuzo said thoughtfully. "That means it can't be all bad. After all, I grew up in the Fire Nation and just look at how my life has gone. By the way Reki, no offense, but if the desert way is better, how'd the person you used to be wind up in charge?"

"I never said the desert way was better," the swordswoman replied, and left it at that.

"Enough," Jomei snapped. "Okay, the city's under martial law and most people don't know it. I can deal with that. I don't understand how it's gone on this long without somebody doing something about it, but I can believe it. So, Siensao, how do you fit into all this? Where do you fit in in Ba Sing Se? Who are you, really? Is that something you can even tell us?"

"You'll find that out anyway soon enough as well, so yes," she said. "I am actually a merchant, just working on a bigger scale than I implied." She let out a sigh. "My father runs the Zhang Ai Syndicate, which controls all organized criminal activity in the west part of the city. I'm his only child. He made sure I could take over if something happened, and that I would stay alive long enough to do so. Mention you know me around western Ba Sing Se and you'll get a reaction, better service, more deference, that sort of thing. That being said, I'd prefer you didn't. I tend to keep a low profile. The less people who can recognize me on sight, the less chance of some hired knives showing up around the next corner. So far as most people know, I'm just Siensao the merchant, a roving agent for Zhang Ai Antiquities in the Middle Ring, which translates to 'high-level enforcer' for those in the know. And that's all I can say. It's better you don't know the details of what, exactly, I do for a living besides saving the Earth Kingdom."

She awaited their reaction, more nervous than usual about such a thing. She expected disappointment. She got it, but not of the kind she had thought.

"What, that's it?" Jomei said with an amused snort. "You're a gang boss-in-training? I was expecting something like you being the Earth King's daughter or secretly an earthbender and head of the Dai Li, or you're actually the Avatar in disguise and you'd pull off your hair to show off arrow tattoos. I mean, come on, after all the shit we've been through, you're going to have to do more than that to impress me."

Kyuzo burst into laughter.

"Sorry," he managed to get out, "But it's true! You could have told me you were Princess Azula in disguise and I'd have believed you!"

Even Reki sported a satisfied smirk.

"You still enjoy theatrics, I see. Drama loses its effect over long exposure. We will follow you no matter who you are. Either you have holds on us or you have earned our respect and loyalty to that point, or both. Nonetheless, you have my thanks for admitting the truth."

Siensao joined in the laughter, though it made her heart ache in a way she hadn't felt for a very long time.

"Well, you all do have a point! Still, it is on short notice. Give me a day or two to prepare and I'll try to come up with something better. But for now, I'd like you to meet my father."

"Uh, I don't mean to ruin the mood, but, any news on Omashu?" Kyuzo asked.

She shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry, I still haven't heard anything significant besides the exodus of the citizens."

Jomei's good humor faded away at the thought of what Jura must be going through. She wouldn't have run. She must still be there, enduring the occupation. He didn't want to think about it, but it always got in the way of his sleep these days. _Hang in there, little sister. I'll be back as soon as I can. I just hope it's soon enough._

* * *

"Nice place," Kyuzo said.

"Thank you for stating the brutally obvious," Reki told him.

"It's a little flashy, isn't it?" Jomei asked.

"But defensible," Spike noted with faint approval.

"I wouldn't want to grow up here," the miner said. "I don't know what that does to a person."

"I spent more time in the Lower and Middle Rings than here, actually," Siensao said. "I never liked this place either."

The headquarters of the Zhang Ai Syndicate were a far cry from the slums of the Lower Ring or even the prosperity of the Middle Ring. It was a palatial, walled estate just within the Upper Ring, outside one of the semi-towns beyond the gates where particularly lucky Middle Ring citizens worked or moved into. The house was white stone mostly, with green roof tiles, and richly appointed, with large windows, expansive gardens, and gold leaf trimming. Equally apparent was that it was not the average noble residence. The stone walls were high and manned by serious-looking guards. The plants in the gardens were all low to the ground so soldiers and earthbenders didn't have their killing angles blocked or anything to trip over. When the light hit the windows just right, you could see the shadows of iron bars behind them. But the most telling sign of all was that when Siensao walked up, dressed as a common, if well-to-do, merchant, accompanied by a collection of people that looked equally out of place here, the gate guards weren't surprised at all.

"Ma'am," the lead guard said, bowing. "Good to have you back. You know the password you set for us?"

"Morning light," Siensao said, and the man chuckled.

"Months since you've been here and you remember it perfectly. Figures. Go on in. Your father's in his office. Should we inform him you've arrived?"

"No need. I'll surprise him."

"He hates surprises."

"Yes, I know. It's good to keep him on his toes. As you were."

"Yes, ma'am."

The group entered without further incident.

The inside of the house was just as impressive as the outside, with expensive artifacts, artwork, arms, armor, and various ancient antiquities on display in some fashion or other. But then as they turned down one hallway, the displays took a turn for the grim and gruesome. Battered, nasty-looking weapons, many with dried bloodstains, lined the walls.

"Each of these was wielded by someone who crossed the syndicate," Siensao told them lightly. "If someone must be called up here, we're probably displeased with them, so a gentle reminder against betrayal is called for as they walk. Still, it isn't as bad as it used to be before Father took over. Grandfather liked collecting distinctive body parts. And then when we put them away, someone slipped and there was preservative alcohol and severed hands everywhere. If I ever take over here, I'm considering using the old Ming Tai carpet trick and dispensing with this whole thing."

Jomei cuffed Kyuzo across the back of the head as he opened his mouth.

"Don't ask what the trick is, I don't want to know and neither do you."

Siensao suppressed her smile. _I really shouldn't do things like that, but it is pretty fun messing with people when it doesn't begin and end with death in mind._

Kyuzo kept quiet, knowing the miner was probably right.

At the end of the hallway was an iron door, shut fast against them. Siensao knocked in a particular manner. There was the sound of bolts sliding back and locks turning, and a cultured voice called, "Come in!"

Siensao turned to the rest of the group.

"Let me do the talking," she warned them. Then she pushed the heavy door open and they walked in.

The office was a stark and barren place, with the only furniture being a heavy, polished desk of some dark wood and the comfortable chair behind it, and the walls were grey stone. At least a skylight let in sunlight and fresh air. Those being interviewed by the boss would stand directly under that shaft of light.

"Hello, Father," Siensao greeted the man behind the desk. "I'm back."

The boss of the Zhang Ai Syndicate was a short man in his middle years, with long brown hair in a queue and faint tinges of grey at his temples, richly dressed. He resembled his daughter mostly in his face, his expression, the way that his eyebrows rose up upon hearing her pronouncement as she strolled into his office.

"Siensao!" he exclaimed, looking surprised for maybe a few seconds. Then, startlingly fast, he was all business. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon. You made good time, then?"

"Around the world in several months," she said with a wry grin. "And with a few new friends to show for it. From left to right, this is Jomei, Reki, Kyuzo, and Nerrivek. Everyone, this is my father, Sun Shang Zhang Ai."

"Thank you all for keeping my daughter safe," the syndicate boss said. To Jomei's surprise, he bowed, if only slightly, to accompany his words. "I'd like to go over the details of what you learned sometime later today, but if there's anything urgent that you need-that any of you need, for that matter-just tell me now and I'll see to it."

"Gladly. Jomei needs a spiritualist with experience in ancestral spirits, Reki needs to know if there are any waterbending healers among the tribesmen in Eastern Ba Sing Se that know how to heal minds, and I need to meet with Jiang Fei, Zhu Liang, and Xiahou Xin, in more or less that order. Anyone else need anything?"

There was a general negative answer from the group. Siensao absently noted that Spike's 'No,' was a little sharper than usual and turned her mind back to the task at hand.

Sun Shang took her list of requests in stride.

"I could just call Xin up. You don't need to go through channels like that."

"It's not urgent enough for that just yet and certainly not worth the attention such a move would draw."

A shrug.

"Fine, then. Jiang Fei should be home right now, he returned from Dekari a month ago, and Zhu Liang is still at the university. He was recently promoted to senior archivist, so he should be easy enough to find. I'll have my people look into your other needs as soon as possible. Is that everything?"

"I'd like to speak with you alone," she said. "If none of you mind waiting outside for a little while?" she added, glancing over her shoulder.

Another round of negatives and the group went shuffling out. Siensao cast a sharp look at Zoukani, one that said _I just said alone, didn't I?_ and the old soldier shrugged and retreated out of the office, closing the heavy doors behind him. And Siensao was very much alone with her father. With no one around, he actually looked a little afraid.

"Well, what is it?" he asked.

She said nothing, opting for silence as she gave him a long, piercing stare. Eventually, he looked away, an ashamed look on his face.

"I'm sure you're all right," he murmured. "You'd tell me if you weren't."

"That isn't the point and you know it," she answered sharply.

"We're not having this discussion again."

"Would you like to talk about something?"

"Would that serve any useful purpose?"

"Stop evading my question!" Siensao snapped. She took a deep breath, getting herself back under control. "Several months I've been gone now. I don't know why, but I thought things would be different when I came back."

"The syndicate still needs strong leadership and we're the ones who have to provide it. If that changes, it would mean bad things for our family."

"What family?" she asked quietly.

Sun Shang, again, had no answer but awkward silence.

"All my teachers in culture and philosophy on the path to the horizon said the same thing in one form or another," the merchant remarked. "They said I'm a cold unfeeling bitch. Strange, isn't it? I wonder how they could have gotten that idea."

"It takes a certain kind of person to run a syndicate," Sun Shang said. "They were giving you a compliment."

"So then if you end up like Grandfather, you wouldn't blame me?" she asked, her face very dark. "Is that where you want this to go in the end?"

"It won't come to that. You're too smart to go that route. I know."

"I don't."

That, aside from when she first walked in, gave him cause for surprise and alarm. Siensao was not smiling.

"Siensao-" he began.

"Don't even bother," she cut him off. "Don't. Even. Unless you mean it. Do you?"

Silence filled the room again.

"That's what I thought," she said. "I don't want things to go that way either. But something has to happen."

"And what would that be?" he finally asked in a low voice.

"You see, that's the funny part." She shook her head. "I don't know either. So maybe we were both doomed from the start. I'll see you later…Dad."

She turned around and didn't see Sun Shang reach out a hand as if to call her back…and say nothing as the door swung shut. He sighed, and went back to his paperwork.

"That was fast," Jomei remarked, seeing Siensao emerge from the office. "You know, if you want to catch up with him-"

"It's all right," she assured him, the false smile coming easily to her, like it had never gone away. "This is important, he understands that. We'll talk later tonight." She avoided meeting Reki's eyes, but the swordswoman undoubtedly caught the lie. Kyuzo was just uncomfortable without knowing exactly why. Spike and Zoukani, if they had opinions, kept them to themselves.

* * *

The midday sun shone bright upon the ancient streets of the Middle Ring. But Jomei, Siensao, and Spike were all three in rather grey moods. Jomei looked around him and saw a city smothered in lies and laws. This was how Major Takano's fantasy would have turned out, all his blather about culture and order. And contrary to what he'd believed, Kanetsu's type had a place here too. He saw them in the occasional pair of green robes and lacquered green hats who passed by. The Dai Li were always watching. Siensao was doing her best to shove all the unwelcome feelings that had emerged during her brief familial spat back into the deep dark part of herself where they'd come from and having a rough time of it. Spike's fingers danced and her ice spike spun and twirled, faster than usual. This wasn't like the resistance, even in Jingzao, where she knew the field, knew the people, had many allies. This was different. The three of them spoke little until they reached where they were going.

The building smelled of ink and new paper and printer's glue and the carved wooden sign read _Jiang Fei & Sons Printing_. The inside was controlled chaos, with two enormous presses in operation, churning out pages by the dozen, and a few smaller machines working more slowly. The workers were whirling about the shop, performing their duties with the sort of concentration and apathy of long exposure, more or less oblivious to the yelling of their bosses. There was a desk just inside the door, with a young man sitting behind it, smiling at them as they walked in.

"Welcome, sir and ladies," he said, bowing as much as he could from a seated position. "How can we help you?"

"I'd like to speak to Master Jiang Fei," Siensao said, "about future business from the Zhang Ai family."

The mention of that name wiped the smile off the man's face.

"Of course, my lady. Right this way."

He led them off to the side, to where an older man was busy working on one of the smaller presses that wasn't in operation.

"Father, we have a messenger from the Zhang Ai family," he said, tapping the man on the shoulder. Jiang Fei turned around. He was of average height, balding, clean-shaven, with his work clothes and hands heavily stained with ink, glue, and oil. He also looked very unhappy, letting out a frustrated sigh. He wiped his hands on a rag and flung it onto a pile of similar rags nearby.

"Fine, fine. Get Su Hai to take over with this damn thing, we need it to get those invitations for the Earth King's party next month finished."

"Yes, father."

"You three, come with me."

He took them into an office that obviously wasn't regularly used. It was dusty and there were no papers on the desk. He didn't bother to walk behind the desk but stood across from them, arms crossed, sullen.

"Godsdammit, Siensao, one of these days I'll have to make that fool boy an initiate just so you can stop telling him you're from Sunny's gang and scaring him half to death. Or maybe just tell him your name so he'll know to let you in to see me whenever you come by. Is this really on family business or is this a White Lotus affair?"

"White Lotus," she answered. "I'm on the path to the horizon and Jomei here will be needing earthbending lessons from Xin. You're the man to go to about talking to him, so here we are."

"Uh-huh. Well, you're in luck, he'll be making his pass through the old city in just a bit. If we hurry, we'll catch him. Is that it?"

"Well, it's also good to see you, Jiang Fei. I hope you're well."

The man snorted.

"I'll be well when the storm spirit that claims to be my wife is somewhere very far from here."

"Jiang Fei, you bastard, where are you?" came a screeching voice from outside. The printer swore and Spike dropped her ice spike. She quickly caught it before it hit the floor and bent it back into her hand, but Siensao caught the slip out of the corner of her eye.

"Speak of Cao Cao and he arrives," Jiang Fei muttered. "You'd better go. If she doesn't find me she'll take it out on one of our boys and I don't want that. They're bad enough as it is."

Siensao nodded.

"Thank you for your help. I'll come back to get you at sunset." That last was directed at Jomei, who nodded.

"Good luck with your studying, but I don't know why you'd need it for here."

The merchant and the waterbender quickly left. Jomei was uncertain if he should at least step out of the office, but Jiang Fei motioned for him to stay where he was, and stepped outside, slamming the door shut behind him. A few seconds later, the miner heard him yelling.

"Fucking bones of the earth, woman, what is it now? Can you not comprehend that half the godsdamned Upper Ring will eat me alive if I don't keep things running?!"

The answer was just as loud.

"Oh, so what those inbred twits think is more important to you than the welfare of your family?! Huo Long Fei! Remember him? He's only your own flesh and blood!"

"He's a worthless excuse for a nephew and whatever happened to him, he had it coming!"

"He got another beating from Seung Yum Soon Han's guards yesterday! Your brother told me because he knew you wouldn't listen to him! The man is at his wit's end! Will you at least try and talk to him?! He's going to get himself killed pining after that bitch and then what will you do?!"

"What do you think I'll do?! I'll throw a fucking party to celebrate not having to hear about his stupidity anymore from you! A good beating is the only way these lovesick fools learn! Those guards know their business, they won't kill him unless he goes crazy, though I'll admit that very well may have happened already."

"You aren't even going to try and talk to him?!"

"It wouldn't do any good!"

"You don't know that!"

"Well, it's a good thing we're going with my opinion on the matter, isn't it, then?!"

"I can see where Huo Long gets his stubbornness from! No wonder he keeps getting hurt, he's just like you, always trying to do the impossible! You want him to end up like you?!"

"Ha! To wind up like me he'd have to go and marry the girl! Fortunately, there's no chance of that! Now go back to your scribbling!"

"Gladly!"

"Good!"

"Fine!"

A moment of silence passed, then Jiang Fei stepped back into the office, red in the face. He shut the door so hard the frame shook, then took a deep breath. Some of the fury drained away.

"Sorry you had to hear that," he said to Jomei, who was doing his best to study the floorboards. "I tried to get a bit further away, but she cornered me."

"Um, no offense-" Jomei began.

"Son, if you're asking about what I think you are, you're going to offend me, so if you do want to avoid that, just shut up and follow me."

Jomei had just been going to ask why on earth the two of them didn't just leave each other if things were that bad, but shut up and followed him anyway. He could have asked Siensao about it, but it wasn't his business, and while that resolution was tattered and frayed, he held onto it. It only became his business if it was getting in his way or something he otherwise needed to know about. Not before.

Jiang Fei levered up a cunningly concealed trapdoor behind the desk and climbed down into it, and the miner followed, closing the door behind him.

The ladder went down about forty feet, with a few glowcrystal torches in a barrel at the bottom. A wide stone corridor ran off to the north and south, with fading glowcrystal lanterns on the walls every so often.

"This is good work," Jomei said, examining the construction with a critical eye. He might not have been the best at detail and precision, but the miners of Teoro took pride in making their tunnels well and he knew good stonework when he saw it. "Pretty damn old, too. How far along does this go?"

Jiang Fei sat down on a stone bench nearby and leaned back, waiting for something.

"This is Old Ba Sing Se," the printer answered. "Well, that's not really true, the original Old Ba Sing Se was built into the rock underneath the Royal Palace. Used to be a small mountain there, you know. But as the aboveground city grew, the tunnels grew with it. Just about every part of the city has tunnels, rooms, or caverns under it, all connected with each other in some way, though they sealed off the paths to the section under the Royal Palace, of course. Still, most of the unofficial business gets taken care of down here."

"And why does my finding an earthbending teacher count as unofficial business?" Jomei asked.

"Because the only earthbender associated with the White Lotus that Siensao trusts to give you good instruction is apparently my cousin Xiahou Xin," Jiang Fei said, "And he does that sort of thing off the books, get me? His lot wouldn't like it at all if they found out he was doing things like this."

"His lot?" Jomei had a nasty suspicion of where this was going.

"See for yourself, that looks like him coming along now." Sure enough, a shadowy figure was moving up the tunnel towards them. Jomei recognized the distinctive silhouette cast by a pointed hat and flowing robe and tensed before he realized the other man wasn't moving to attack.

"Hey, Xin," Jiang Fei greeted him, standing up. The other man tilted his hat back slightly, revealing sharp brown eyes. The long, poorly healed scar along one cheek only made him more intimidating.

"Hello, Jiang," the Dai Li Agent said politely, with a trace of an accent. "I hope you're well." To Jomei's slight surprise, he sounded like he meant it. Siensao had made the Dai Li sound barely human in their zeal for maintaining the city's twisted kind of order.

Jiang Fei grunted.

"Well enough. This here is Jomei. Him and Siensao-yes, that Siensao-are on the path to the horizon and he needs some proper earthbending instruction. You have enough free time to do that?"

Xin nodded.

"Providing the Tumen and Aariak haven't given him too many bad habits," he said with a smile. "And he isn't like the Demon Twins they sent me last time. You're not musical by any chance, are you?" This last he said to Jomei, who shook his head warily.

"No, I'm definitely not," he said.

"Good. I have a few hours in which I won't be missed, so if you want to begin immediately, we can do that."

Jomei straightened up, feeling surer of himself by the second as the man continued not to haul him off into jail.

"Fine by me. I won't be in the city for very long, might as well get started now."

Xin seemed pleasantly surprised. Doubtless his uniform scared off most of the usual students he got. Jomei didn't mention how near he had been to running just at the sight of it. That was one thing Siensao had stressed in her lecture, over and over again. _Don't let them take you, not for any reason. Don't get caught alone in any part of the city. Don't ever let them take you or you'll never know they did in the first place and we'll all be dead before long. If you see them coming at you, run and pray you're fast enough._

"Well, before we go, Jiang, is there anything else? You know, I heard your nephew ran afoul of-"

"Heard it from the wife already," Jiang Fei said shortly, and Xin frowned.

"You should speak with him."

"I'll think about it."

Xin sighed.

"You do that. In the meantime, I'll visit him when I get off-duty and do what I can. But a talk from you would mean more."

"Uh-huh. I've got to get back to work, Xin. I'll see you tomorrow."

The printer began climbing back up the ladder.

"That was more polite than he usually is towards me," Xin remarked after the trapdoor swung shut. "He must like you."

"He doesn't seem to like anyone or anything," Jomei said with a snort, "except maybe the sound of his own complaining."

"Well, he used to be better. But that was a long time ago. Come with me."

Xin led Jomei down the hallway, about two hundred paces. The floor sloped steadily downward and leveled off as the corridor opened up into a room that might once have been a vast storehouse, with bits of wood and metal piled up at its sides.

"No one will disturb us here," Xin assured him. His stone shoes made no sound as he walked and his voice seemed louder in the stillness. "Above our heads is a metalworking shop and they won't hear anything, especially with this much rock between us. The syndicate and I have an understanding and none of the gangs comes through here either. Before we begin, I'm sure you have questions."

"Just one," Jomei said, "But you probably know it already. I'm guessing you get it a lot."

"Why does a Dai Li Agent believe in the creed of the White Lotus?"

"Yep. That's the one. You don't have to answer, I'm sure it's none of my business, but if I'm going to be learning from you, I'd like to know a bit more."

The agent nodded.

"In fact, I don't mind. I was in the White Lotus before I joined the Dai Li. I don't see that the desire to preserve knowledge and the desire to preserve order are incompatible. Siensao disagrees, and I'm sure you do too, but it doesn't stop either of us from making use of each other. It's just business."

Jomei frowned.

"Would it offend you if I said you remind me of this assassin I ran into once?"

This time, Xin's smile was of the scary kind.

"Not at all. In fact, I'll take that as a compliment. Now, let's begin." The other man moved to the center of the room and turned to face Jomei.

"I know what you've learned from your previous teachers. They've taught you how to compensate for earthbending's weaknesses. The Tumen teach mobility and speed, Aariak and the other earthbenders of Jukana teach adaptability and grace. What I teach are earthbending's strengths, substance and stability. You don't need to be speeding around the battlefield if your defenses can withstand any attack and efficiency is preferable to grace for an earthbender. If you're strong enough, you don't need anything else, provided you are also precise and accurate. Those are terms not usually associated with earthbending, but you'll find that Earth is perhaps the most precise element of them all. Every other element is always fluid and shifting to some degree and requires more control to strike with precision, but not Earth. The more sharply focused you are on precision, the greater speed, efficiency, and strength you acquire, since you aren't concentrating on moving massive amounts of stone."

He considered the miner a moment.

"I could hit you from where I'm standing before you could even get off one attack. One stone spear to the side. Doubtless Aariak has taught you how to sense and see attacks coming, but since my strikes are so efficient, you won't have much to go on. If I sound like I'm repeating things, that's because I am. Repetition is the key factor in earthbending lessons. Do a form a thousand times and then another thousand after that and you will become aware of its many mysteries and secrets. Contrary to what you may think, you don't need to improvise earthbending as often if you can simply use slight variations on one form that will work just as well. These are earthbending's strengths and what I have to teach you."

"Sounds good to me," Jomei said with a shrug. "Where do we begin?"

"With precision basics. Raise a stone block, like this." He matched action to words and lifted a fist, cracking a perfect cube of stone out of the ground.

Jomei did so as well, and while it was better than the rough boulders he normally used, it was not by any means perfect. Xin shook his head, lowering his own block to rest on the ground.

"Take as much time as you need to get the shape and feel of the block right in your mind, heart, and stone sense before you lift it out of the ground. Technique first, speed later. Again."

Jomei took much longer, and this time, thought he did well enough. The second block was only slightly rough around the edges. But he could tell by Xin's stern features that it wasn't good enough.

"Picture in your mind the perfect clarity and sharpness of the edges and corners," he said. "Picture the ideal block of stone and make that image a reality. Focus only on the perfection you are crafting. By the end of today, you'll have forty blocks stacked up in front of you, one on top of the other and if one isn't perfect, one or more of them will come crashing down and you'll have to do all of this again tomorrow."

Jomei's next attempt took him a very long time. He even shut his eyes when he was bending it, trying to put every bit of control he had into the work. And when he opened them again, a perfect block hung in the air before him. Xin smiled.

"I want at least one thousand of those made before we move on to the next lesson. You're welcome to try and finish by the end of today, but for every one you make that isn't perfect, make two that are. And with each block, be aware of what you're doing. Try to understand it as though you've never done any of this before in your life. People have won battles and ended lives with what you're learning here, with these simple stone blocks. Precision and accuracy, Pupil Jomei. Begin now."

* * *

Zhu Liang might have been the senior archivist of Ba Sing Se University, but Siensao did not find him behind a desk. Instead, she found him busy shelving scrolls deep within the archives. He did not appear enthusiastic about his work and upon seeing her approach, he grew pale, hastily clambering down from his ladder.

"Hello, ma'am," he said hesitantly. "It's good to see you back."

The archivist was a fairly young man, with an earnest face and slender frame. A feather fan was stuck into his belt, which he began making use of at once as soon as he was back on the floor.

"You as well, Liang the Wrong," Siensao said. "Your name isn't very well deserved, though, if what I've heard is true. Who knocks at the garden gate, Zhu Liang?"

He managed a weak smile.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries, ma'am."

"You fooled me," the merchant said, smiling. "Take pride in that, though if you ever tell anyone I said that, it will go badly for you. I could have sworn you were just the bumbling librarian in the back of the archives."

He shrugged.

"Well, thank you, ma'am. In a city like this, it's much better to be thought foolish and stupid. I messed up, though, and got myself promoted, finally. I'm working on making enough bad choices to get demoted again, but it'll take some time." He glanced at Spike. "Um, is she-"

"She's quite trustworthy, though not really your concern," Siensao assured him. The waterbender was silent on the matter, but her grip tightened on the ice spike in her hand.

"Now then," the merchant continued, "I'm on the path to the horizon and was told you were the person to see."

The archivist let out a relieved sigh.

"Well, yes, I am, I suppose. All these years at the university really do wonders for your cultural education. But really, any examination I could make would only be a formality, you were already close to graduating when you had your…um…accident."

"Breakdown," Siensao said bluntly, her smile gone. "You don't need to mince words about it, I'm fully aware of what happened to me and denying the truth would accomplish nothing. Since your instruction is just a formality, I have another matter I could use your help with."

All the man's previous nervousness returned and his fan beat faster.

"Anything I can do, of course," he murmured.

Glancing about, she leaned in close and lowered her voice to a whisper.

"The Black Lotus. Have you heard the name?"

He nodded rapidly.

"Where?"

"From Jiao Chu, the weaver's apprentice, just before you left. She said there were whispers of a new faction within the Order by that name, but nothing substantial. She warned me against asking questions about it, so I haven't."

"Well, you're about to. I'm here to put an end to them, once and for all, and I'll need your help."

The archivist swallowed hard, but nodded again.

"You've got it, ma'am, but I'll need time. And protection."

"I'll send over a couple of guards from the syndicate," she said, straightening up again. "They'll protect you with their lives. Hopefully by this time tomorrow, I'll have a more detailed plan of attack. For now, just start making your own plans. I have a lot more places to go today, so you'll have to excuse me."

"Of course, ma'am."

He stayed relatively calm until she was out of sight, then fell heavily onto the ladder, gripping the wood with trembling hands. A great shudder shook him, then all was still again, and he deliberately climbed back onto the ladder and resumed shelving scrolls, waiting for what he knew was coming soon enough.

Only a moment later, he heard the hated voice of his master speak to him and struggled not to cry because that would annoy them.

"You heard what she said. And being the intelligent person that you are, you know what it means."

He bowed his head without a word.

"Well, it's not as if it's what I'd prefer, you know that," his master said, sounding almost apologetic, but he knew better. "But it's the only way. I'll miss you when you're gone, certainly. I look forward to seeing you play your part in what's coming. Just go about your duties for now. I'll be back once my plans have started coming together."

Then they were gone.

Slowly, Zhu Liang began taking the scrolls back off the shelf he'd been working on, moving mechanically while his mind went somewhere far away, where none of this was real. He didn't even notice he was crying.

* * *

Reki moved through the sword form with less than her usual grace. She did not accept the fact that perhaps since she had been practicing ever since Siensao and the others left, she was tired. Because as long as she was only aware of her movements, she didn't have to think about the monster in her head. Miki's quick fix was wearing off fast.

"Don't you think you ought to take a break once in a while?" Kyuzo asked. The firebender was reading Jomei's scroll again, and had a few other books stacked up beside him, while Zoukani was sharpening his spear point. Reki lowered her sword as reality crashed in on her again.

"Is it…her again?" Kyuzo asked, sympathetically.

_No, actually it's my long-lost cousin who can talk to me with her telepathic powers. Yes, it's her again, you idiot!_

Out loud, she said, "There is still time. And the last resort remains." The last resort involved Reki, something sharp, and a knowledge of where to cut so as to hit an artery. She would risk oblivion rather than turn the Blood Drinker loose on the world again.

Kyuzo nodded, his expression very unhappy.

"Well, just in case that fails…any advice?"

"The same as Sienaso gave us about the Dai Li. Run. As fast as you can. And pray that it is fast enough."

_But it won't be, as he ought to be able to figure out after all this time._ Reki ignored the thought, fighting down fear. Her thoughts were no longer entirely her own, and she could never be sure if it was her who wanted to crush the firebender's spirit or the Blood Drinker. So she said as little as possible and hoped that Siensao's search produced results soon. This city was already getting to her and she knew it would only get worse.


	30. Remembrance of the Lost

A/N: As another great author on this site named McJunker once said, "If nothing bad is happening to your characters, you aren't doing your job right." I think I can safely say I am at least doing my job adequately in this chapter, but as always, you shall judge for yourselves. Thanks to Sylvacoer for beta work, and enjoy the show.

* * *

Across western Ba Sing Se, the word spread to those who would listen. It was whispered among the thieves and beggars, those who haunted the filth and mire of the Lower Ring. It chattered among the merchants and businessmen, those who wrung blood, silver, and gold from the grasp of the less fortunate in the Middle Ring. It even sang among the nobles and officials, those who fought for power, fame, and glory, ever elusive, in the Upper Ring. In the Royal Palace, in a room where glowcrystal flames burned green, a certain cultural minister heard it and so the word passed to the ranks of the Dai Li, before whom no secret was safe, and they sought this one with the same efficiency with which they performed all tasks given them. The word was this: _the Zhang Ai Syndicate seeks the Black Lotus, whoever they may be. Gold and gratitude to those whose words of insight prove true_. The word spread, and soon enough, those who heard it began whispering back and so it was that on the fourth day after her arrival in Ba Sing Se, Siensao and the rest of the company found themselves in conference as the sun peeked over the east horizon. Or, more aptly, a council of war.

"I have the preliminary results of my investigation," Siensao said, seated at the head of the dark wooden table. The conference room was sparsely furnished and lacking decorations. "We have a number of leads to go on, with more likely to come. I spared you all the work of filtering out the junk – for now – and came up with three things that need to be taken care of today."

"Well, I got up, ate breakfast, and then came here, so I already did three things today," Kyuzo said with a yawn. "Mind if I sit this one out?"

No one laughed and he shrugged, grinning.

"Okay, so that's a no. Go ahead, then."

"First," Siensao continued, ignoring his attempt at humor, "there remains the fact that the Black Lotus is still trying to kill me. They'll send another assassin after me very soon. If we can capture that assassin, it might provide us with a trail to follow, though I doubt that whoever they send will simply let themselves be caught like Kei Dao. But they're waiting until I move to a less secure location, so as cover for inviting the attack, I, Kyuzo, and Zoukani will move to one of the syndicate's bases in the Lower Ring to pursue the second lead."

"Did you just put my name there because of the joke just now?" Kyuzo asked dryly. "Because that's definitely something you'd do."

"Very true," Siensao conceded, "but no, I had you in mind before now. You can't firebend, so you might as well help out in some way. Jomei, Reki, Spike – chasing down the third lead will almost certainly call for the skillful application of violence. I hope that's not too much of a problem."

"No," Spike said, almost snapping the word. Then she saw everyone else looking at her and her intensity subsided. Her ice spike remained motionless, gripped in one hand and ready to throw.

Reki was looking down, struggling to restrain herself from spitting fire at Siensao. _Oh, yes, send the person with a psychotic desert warlord in her head that wants out, a resistance fighter who isn't taking adjustment to a new land very well, and an earthbender, who, Shenshai bless him, isn't the right person to deal with either of those things in the middle of a fight or out of one. Brilliant. Just brilliant._ Of course, she could come up with Siensao's reasons, too, but that took more effort. _A fight would restore Spike's faith in her new comrades, us and maybe shore up the cracks, she's taken me at my word that I'll kill myself before I let the Blood Drinker out and a fight would give me something to focus on to improve discipline and Jomei…well, I suppose he's there for moral support. Oh, and killing a few of the enemy. Most of all, she can trust us completely._

"No, it is not good," she said aloud, scowling, "because I'm almost certain it involves making springing a deadly trap sound like a clever idea. Am I right?"

"Hey, when Siensao comes up with it, it is a clever idea just by definition," Kyuzo pointed out, grinning. "If you die, you'll die very cleverly."

"Just tell us what needs to happen," Jomei said, annoyed. "We'll get it done."

Siensao inclined her head.

"Thank you, Jomei, I will do just that. In the Lower Ring, there's an informant called Spider-snake. He sells to everyone, just general information mostly, some investigation. Most of his value lies in the fact that if he knows something, everyone knows it, so you know which of your secrets have gotten out. He got a new buyer recently, someone who wants their identity kept secret. But the only reason it's stayed that way this long is because he's been waiting for the price to go up enough to compensate him for the time he'll have to spend in hiding afterwards. It's a trap, of course, but it's certain he does know something, so on the slight chance we can get to him before they do, or anyone else does, for that matter, we might find out something they didn't intend for us to find."

"He's dead already," Reki said.

"He was alive two hours ago, at last report," Siensao said. "But the chances of that are going down with each moment of delay here. Now, the second lead would be records. Zhu Liang is the one who keeps the records of White Lotus initiates in the city. What Kyuzo and I will be doing is looking through them and eliminating those people from the list who don't have the resources or the inclination to be at least highly ranked in the Black Lotus. In this way we narrow the possibilities of later investigation. So, if there are any questions, ask them now."

"What do we do if it is a trap?" Jomei asked. "I don't know how to get around this city."

"I'll give you a couple guides who can hold their own in a fight, but if they're killed, ask for directions to Zhang Ai Woodworking, anyone in that part of the Lower Ring can point you there. It's a syndicate-owned business and I've already alerted them that you might need some help."

"If there are already others fighting when we get there, should we attack or retreat?" the miner asked.

"If they're fighting, that means there's probably something worth fighting over. Spider-snake is constantly changing his look to throw people off, but he'll be the one trying to get away from the fight. Get him out of there, but don't kill yourselves doing it, he's not worth it. If he is dead after all, just leave. If you spot the trap waiting for you, don't walk into it, they've no reason to keep him alive as bait. In any event, Reki's in charge of this raid, so just look to her and you should do fine. Any other questions?"

There were none.

"Good. One last thing. There is a fourth lead, but it's better if you don't know what it is. I'm having an acquaintance of ours look into it."

"Anyone we know?" Kyuzo asked. To his surprise, she nodded, smiling.

"You might not recognize them, Kyuzo, and Spike wouldn't, but Jomei and Reki know who I'm talking about."

Jomei had never been the most perceptive man alive, but considering the list of possible acquaintances of Siensao that both he and Reki would know and who would be involved in this, he found only one name on it and his heart sank.

"Please don't tell me it's who I think it is."

"It's who you think it is," Siensao said.

"Shit! Kei Dao, get out here!"

"Right the first time!" the assassin's muffled voice sounded from up in the ceiling somewhere. Spike nearly threw an ice spike at the source, but caught herself just in time, shamefaced. "You get a gold star! Have you worked your way up to three-syllable words yet?"

"Get out here so I can smack that grin off your face!" Jomei shouted, pounding the table with one fist.

"Why, Jomei, I knew you were passionate but I never knew you could _smolder_! It's a little cramped in here, but I'm willing if you are. Don't mind the mice-rats, they're all gentlemen and will avert their eyes. Oh, by the way, Siensao, your crawlspaces need to be cleaned, these bloodstains don't do anything for the décor."

"That's why I ran you through it just now, to clear out the cobwebs," the merchant answered dryly. "The staff is following up later with soap and water."

Jomei was not amused in the slightest, and glared at Kyuzo, who was convulsed with laughter.

"This isn't funny!"

"Kei Dao, you are about three paces to my right," Reki said. "Come out now or I will be adding to the bloodstains already there."

"Is that the melodious voice of a desert woman I here?" the assassin asked. "Ah, I've missed you, my dear. If you so desire, I will emerge. But only if I receive your assurance that Jomei isn't standing right below me and waiting to deliver on his promise."

Reki glanced over to Jomei, who was doing exactly that, and the miner stepped back, crossing his arms.

"You have it," she said, then took Jomei's place.

"All right!"

A panel in the ceiling slid open and Kei Dao dropped down out of it. Reki's fist connected with his sternum as he was falling, knocking him sprawling.

"Hm, wasn't aware of that particular desert greeting, so forgive my clumsiness," he said after catching his breath. He grinned up at Reki and popped back up on his feet, dust and streamers of cobwebs falling all around him. "Shall I demonstrate an appropriate response of my people?"

Reki narrowed her eyes, immediately on guard. There was never a moment where she could be sure if the assassin were flirting, joking, or threatening. Then again, she would not put it past him to do all three at once.

Kei Dao extracted a wad of web from his hair. "Maybe later—it's about time for me to go anyway. I do have a job to do and little time to do it in. Gentlemen, ladies, Reki, goodbye." And with that he promptly left, shutting the door behind him. Jomei glared after him, muttering dark imprecations under his breath.

"He's going to stab us in the back sooner or later," he said, "Probably because it sounds fun."

"Doubtful," Siensao replied. "I can provide him with the most opportunities for fun and he knows that. And he knows that I know that he knows. Knowledge is power. Let's see how powerful we are today."

* * *

It was approaching midday, with a breeze carrying the first hints of autumn sweeping over the city, when the six comrades and Kei Dao met again. Zoukani was noticeably on guard, in stark contrast to his usual calm presence, and had one hand on his sword, his spear propped up against the wall behind him and Siensao had her sword laying on the table in front of her, unsheathed, her posture as strained as a drawn bow. Kyuzo, standing behind the merchant on the opposite side from Zoukani, was holding a small flame in one hand, flaring with each breath he took. He and Siensao both looked terrible, their faces and clothes stained with soot and their eyes bloodshot.

Jomei was slumped in a chair, unmoving, his Tumen fur cap twisted up in his hands, keeping his eyes lowered. Spike had dragged a chair over to a corner of the room and was sitting with her back to the wall. Every so often, her hands shook, do what she would to stop it, and her ice spike was still, ready to throw. Reki was leaning against the wall by the door, arms crossed, looking around curiously, fingers drumming on one arm at a brisk beat. She let out an annoyed sigh. Kei Dao was the only one who was jubilant, sitting down with his feet propped up on the table, making a coin spin over the fingers of his right hand in a display of dexterity.

"Start from the beginning, Jomei," Siensao said wearily, one hand tracing its way down her face. "What happened?"

The miner spoke in a near monotone, shorn of feeling.

"It was a trap."

* * *

Their lead guide, a rail-thin man named Lu Han who resembled a particularly tough piece of knotwood, hadn't been kidding when he said the place they were going was rough. The part of the Lower Ring where Spider-snake hid himself away was crammed full of shabby-looking shops, crumbling apartment buildings, and the streets were filthy, with only a rare paving stone jutting up from the mud. The people were wary and suspicious of the strangers in their midst, but the guides were known as syndicate members, so no one tried to rob them. Some of the youth gangs were more organized than the watchmen assigned to the area.

Jomei was lost within a minute of leaving the train station in the maze of streets. Underground, he could have led them unerringly back to where they'd started out, but here, he was no use at all.

"You do know where we're going, right?" he asked Lu Han in a low voice.

"I grew up here," the other man answered somewhat wistfully. "Didn't care for it much, but I know my way around. There it is. See that apartment building with the missing roof? It's supposed to be abandoned, so all kinds live there until the local officials get around to knocking it down and putting up something even worse, like a law school. Last we heard, Snaky was living the high life on the second floor, low enough to jump to the rooftops, but high enough so that he'll get some warning if someone comes to kick in his door so he can get away. All the entrances are watched by someone, so we just go right up and walk in. He knows me and Yuan Xi here from when we used to run with the Tiger Claws."

As they approached the building's front doors, Reki held up a hand, signaling a halt.

"Something's not right," she said.

Lu Han looked around carefully and shrugged.

"Nothing unusual so far as I can see. Still folks at the windows watching us, they look familiar. Still people on the streets walking close to the place. No sign of anyone hidden and waiting to cut us down as we walk in. What's the problem?"

Reki shushed him, putting all her concentration into finding what it was that had twigged the sensation of "danger." Something her eyes had seen, a smell…a misplaced sound? For a tense half a minute, she only stood. Then she spoke.

"They're dead. The people at the windows. They're too still and quiet. Their eyes haven't moved to follow us. They're bait to lure us inside. This raid is a failure."

Lu Han swore under his breath as he saw what she meant.

"Shit, you're right. I thought old man Song would never die. We better scram fast."

Reki saw a flurry of movement behind the corpses.

"Too late," she murmured, her hand going to her sword. Then, louder. "TAKE COVER!"

Jomei, straining hard, threw up two walls at once, in front of and behind them, to form an earth tent. It wouldn't stop bending of any strength, but he heard arrows and bolts shattering against it and saw them kick up dust at his feet.

"We're surrounded!" he growled. "They'll get benders on us any second!"

Spike leaned out of the tent for a second and threw an ice spike.

"One less archer," she said crisply. The others are almost all on the rooftops, a few in the house behind and to our right."

"Lu Han, is there a tunnel under us we can punch into?!" Jomei demanded.

"Yeah, but they probably thought of that!" the guide answered, drawing the machete at his side while Yuan Xi hefted a spiked club. Jomei's eyes widened and he reached out, fingers digging into his new walls, and he shoved, every muscle standing out on his shoulders and arms as he shifted their shelter down the street. They just made it out of the way before the ground exploded where they'd just been, leaving a gaping hole through which earthbenders with stone shields in front of them leapt up. Spike threw again and hit one in the bare foot. Her fingers waltzed and the spike grew sharp tendrils that made the appendage into shredded meat in an instant as they hardened into ice and she twisted the barb through flesh. The earthbender's screaming made his comrades hesitate.

"Spike, where's the closest house with archers on top?" Reki snapped.

"Ten feet that way!"

"Jomei, get us there! We'll punch through the trap there! Spike, covering fire! Keep those earthbenders down for a few seconds!"

Spike began drawing water from her pouches and throwing with both hands in a rapid-fire barrage that would exhaust her supply in seconds while Jomei shoved again, hearing more arrowheads pinging off the stone as he covered the distance in record time for someone hauling so much earth at once. The shield in front of him thumped against a wall.

"We punch through on three!" Reki shouted. "One!"

Jomei unlimbered his warhammer and bent what loose stone he could reach around himself.

"Two!"

"Half empty!" Spike called, as calm as if she were braiding her hair.

"Three!"

Jomei, lacking room to swing his hammer, lashed out with a kick, smashing one wall of the earth tent through the flimsy wooden wall of the house, raising dust in the process, and the group charged through the hole.

The earthbender took the lead and felt a sharp sting as a point-blank bolt punched through his armor in a thin spot, though the stone slowed it enough to stop serious injury. His answer was a headlong charge towards the stairs from where the bolt had come from. The crossbowman slammed the hatch to the roof shut just before Jomei's hammer hit, shaking the thick timbers and dislodging a waterfall of dust and grit.

"I need time!" the miner shouted, taking another swing. The hatch seemed unusually sturdy compared to the rest of the house and he felt it give, but not as much as he'd expected.

"You'll get it!" Reki promised, raising her sword and turning to the entrance they'd just made. Spike retreated onto the stairs behind her, ice spike at the ready, while Lu Han and Yuan Xi got behind Reki to guard against flanking attacks. Led by a pair of earthbenders, their attackers poured in, seeking to crush them through numbers and ferocity, with crossbowmen at the back, sending more bolts whistling through the air when they could get a clear shot. Jomei felt more stings in his back and hoped the bolts weren't poisoned.

Reki was in her element once again, outnumbered but far from outmatched. Her sword flickered, sending blood spraying through the air, and enemies fell, most silent, some screaming. Their guides found themselves with surprisingly little to do as they snuck glances at the swordswoman beside them between bouts.

Spike was picking off the crossbowmen, one by one, as they took aim at Reki. Then she reached the dregs of the pouch. Drawing the last of it out, she formed a water whip with a sharp-edged ice shard at the end and stepped down, striking over the shoulders of the frontline fighters like a scorpion. Jomei kept on hammering, breaking boards and shearing nails clean off as he slowly broke through. Now he could see that they'd piled stuff on top of the hatch, which explained its resistance.

Reki again felt the thrill of battle coursing through her, that intoxicating brew that made her feel as though she belonged, if only for a little while. A toothy smile forced its way onto her lips and as their attackers paused, hesitating, she taunted them.

"Who else wants to die?! I'll kill every last one of you! Come on!" By the time she noticed how close her sword was getting to her mouth it was too late and she tasted blood for the first time since the day of her exile. Then all was lost as the memories and sensations that came with them flooded her mind and the dark presence at the back of her head fed on that, breaking through all the willpower she had like rice paper. She raised her sword to her own throat, feeling the edge bite into her neck. _I'm sorry, Jomei._

The earthbender, sensing the lull in the fighting, paused in his work, turning halfway around to see Reki oddly still, her own sword twisted around, the edge at her throat… Without a thought, he threw his hammer, as fast as he'd ever moved in his life. The heavy weapon was aimed perfectly, striking the point of the sword like the head of nail. The shock warped the blade, sending writhing from her grasp like a scalded snake; the bloodied steel clanged on the ground. Then he realized what he'd done as Reki fell to her knees, both hands clutched to her head, her whole body wracked with spasms, and he rushed down the steps, heedless of anything else, not sure what he was going to do but that he needed to stop what was about to happen.

His way was blocked by Spike, acting on instinct as much as he, the instinct that said _comrades don't kill each other, EVER._ She froze his feet in ice, stopping him in his tracks and depriving herself of water. Lu Han, not understanding, kicked Reki's sword back towards her, not having seen what made her lose it in the first place, yelling for her to get up and fight.

Reki got up, her hand closing around the sword's hilt on the way, just in time to meet the enemy, coming at them with renewed strength, sensing weakness. She killed the first man before she finished rising, with a thrust that slipped under the kneecap and up into his leg, the blade twisting free in a spray of bright red arterial blood. The second she killed as she finished standing up, taking a step out in front of Lu Han and Yuan Xi, the latter of whom was badly wounded with a slash in his side, and kicked his sword out of his hand before putting her own blade through his heart. Catching the other sword with her three-fingered hand, she slung it carelessly into the ranks of the attackers where it caught a third man in the neck. Twisting her sword free of her second victim, she stood there and faced them.

Her back was to Jomei, still frozen in place, but whatever look was on her face, he did not have to imagine it. Their attackers were frozen in place, frozen by a deep, instinctual knowledge that whispered, _Leave_. So they did, withdrawing slowly, carefully, all eyes on Reki, ignoring those with her as they fled the wretched house, leaving all the corpses behind.

"Reki?" Spike asked, lost and confused. "I don't understand. Jomei, why did you…? What is all…? What's going on?"

When Jomei spoke, his voice was a painful, desperate plea.

"Reki?"

She turned around and Jomei sat down hard on the stairs. She was smiling. He had seen that smile before in Jukana and all the evil that came with it, but somehow, seeing her this way was all the more terrifying. Then she started snickering, which slowly grew louder and louder and **louder** until she was bending over and holding her sides as the house rang with peals of laughter, tinged with madness. When at last she stopped, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, she straightened up and spoke to him. Her voice was more lively and emotional, neither of those things to the good.

"Oh, that was absolutely _priceless_!" she said. "The way you just…" She gestured helplessly and chuckled again. "Well, never mind that, you wouldn't appreciate it anyway. I think I've made it pretty clear who's standing here right now."

Raising her sword, she slowly ran her tongue along the blade, then grinned again, showing red-stained teeth.

"_The Blood Drinker is back._ And Jomei?" She swept into a formal bow. "Thank you very much. I owe it all to you." Jomei bowed his head, giving in to despair, and said nothing.

Spike was staring in shock, unable to comprehend, what had happened. For a moment, at least.

"Are you our enemy?" she demanded, unfreezing Jomei's feet to form her ice-tipped water whip again.

Lu Han snorted and lowered his machete.

"If she is, we're dead anyway," he muttered, and went to tend to Yuan Xi.

Reki shook her head.

"Of course not. Well, not _yet_, anyway. Whatever gave you that idea? You think I'm going to just run off and start killing people? Granted, it might be fun and I do have lost time to make up for, but I'd get arrested within the day. No, I'm sticking with Siensao for now. She has a good thing going here with the syndicate. We'll just stick around here for a while until those men outside are gone. They'll be missed elsewhere eventually and unless they decide to demolish this house, they'll just leave. I'd rather not catch an arrow going up through that hatch or back outside. It shouldn't take long at all." She righted a stool that had been knocked over during the fight and sat down, her back against the wall.

"As long as we're waiting, Jomei dear, is there anything you'd like to ask?"

"What's happened to Reki?" he asked dully.

The swordswoman smirked.

"Now she's the one in _my_ head. Give her credit, she's tenacious about hanging on to life when it counts. Don't count on a miraculous return, though."

But with the news, Jomei's head lifted and life returned to his gaze. Reki saw it and rolled her eyes.

"Is this where you kiss me and make everything all better? Don't count on it. That being said, feel free to try. Be creative."

"I'd sooner kiss a rat-viper," Jomei said.

Reki's expression went flat and unamused. Even after everything he'd seen so far, it scared him.

"That can be arranged if you keep _disappointing_ me." She started cleaning her sword…with her tongue. Spike took up a spot near the hole in the wall and refused to look behind her, taking refuge in necessary work. Lu Han had finished bandaging up Yuan Xi and the two of them sat down as far from Reki as they could get, muttering to each other about how they _weren't getting paid enough for this shit_.

"Stop that," Jomei said firmly.

She did, but only to ask, "Why?" in a rather…_playful_ tone of voice.

"Because it's disgusting, unhealthy, and not as quick as just using a rag," the earthbender answered.

"Oh, well in that case…fuck you, make me stop if you can." And she went right back to her work.

"You can't win this," Jomei said, recovering more hope as he started thinking again. "Siensao can beat you. She'll 'condition' you away."

Reki snorted, seeming honestly amused at the thought.

"No she won't. Just wait and see."

* * *

"Well," Siensao said calmly as Jomei finished his tale of woe. "Here we are now. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't do exactly as Jomei said."

Reki drew a knife and raised it to her throat.

"Keep me around or your friend dies with me. How's that?"

"You expect me to believe you'd kill yourself after so long trying to get out?" the merchant asked skeptically.

Reki shrugged with a smile.

"Doesn't matter to me. Believe it or don't, but one way ends with me bleeding to death on the floor and one doesn't. That's the problem with you, Siensao Zhang Ai, you're always so cautious, so valuing of lives, so unwilling to gamble. The woman who wants nothing, who cares about nothing…is invincible. My life's worth nothing, I don't value it. I had a good run and if I can go on, fine, if I can't, I'll die knowing I beat you and spit in death's face when it shows up for me. There's one reason. But it's more than that, we're so much alike. You understand me. You know the kind of things I can do and that I'm willing to do them in your name, as you dictate. And your pride at controlling someone like me is getting to you. You want to be able to look at me and think, 'that bloodthirsty monster is working for me now.' You want to have time to put together some intricate plot to get rid of me and make use of me while you do. Well, I'm game if you are. May the best woman win. But all of that rests on you agreeing with me now. I want your word."

"Marry me," Kei Dao said dreamily to the swordswoman.

"You're already married," she answered and his eyebrows went up.

"Doesn't mean we're not open to another participant. How'd you know?"

"You just told me."

"This is insane!" Kyuzo burst out, finally speaking up, his helpless pain clear to see. "We won't make a deal with someone like you! There's no way to trust you, none! Reki told us as much and I can't believe anyone is even considering doing otherwise! She'd want us to either try and get her back, whatever it takes, or make sure this…this monster doesn't escape from the city."

Reki performed a magnificently sarcastic slow clap at his speech.

"It's strange how you're the smartest one besides me at this table about this, Kyuzo," she said. "You're absolutely right. But you see, that little speech of my own I just made? One of the benefits is that everything I mentioned in it actually works better when I spell it out, because it makes the audience aware of the truth and inevitability of doing as I say. Sorry, but you're already outvoted."

Kyuzo didn't despair.

"I know," he said defiantly. "But it had to be said. That's what I do here. I speak for the Fire Nation and for what's right, so even if we do something wrong, at least we know what we're getting into. That's all for now."

"If we might return to the matter at hand," Siensao said, showing no outward reaction to Reki's accusations. "You must know my word isn't worth much and you have to sleep sometime. What's to stop me from agreeing now and finding you then?"

"Well, I was thinking of hanging out at Kei Dao's place. I'm pretty sure he won't sell me out to you. Is that all right?" The question was directed at the assassin, who nodded.

"My doors are always open to fellow artists of death. Maybe later I'll sell you out. But not just yet. Does that work for you?"

"It does." She turned back to Siensao. "There you go. And fair warning if you try it anyway, you only get one shot. So…do we have a deal?"

"For now," the merchant conceded. "But it rests on the condition that you don't kill anyone you don't have to. I won't let a madwoman loose on my city. If you show any sign of going on a killing spree, I'll take my chances with catching you asleep. Those are _my_ terms."

Reki shrugged.

"Oh, fine. You're no fun at all, though, you know that? What happened to you and Explosion Boy, anyway? You look like you were in a fire."

"That would be because we were," she said. "It happened like this…"

* * *

Kyuzo was tired of reading names. Zhu Liang had been very thorough in his compiling of a list of suspects for high-ranking Black Lotus members and there were more initiates of the Order in Ba Sing Se and the surrounding farmlands than he'd thought. But then, it was a city of millions.

"Jyeung Lee Kim," he read wearily. "Initiate of the Morning Glory. Unlicensed physician in the Yizhou District of eastern Ba Sing Se, personal attendant to several high-ranking members of the eastern syndicate, connections to the Fire Nation for the smuggling of medical supplies into the city." The White Lotus custom of using flower names for their various ranks was interesting, but grew boring quite fast.

"No," Siensao said, her brush unmoving. She never confided her reasoning for writing a name onto her master list or not, citing lack of time given all the material they had to work through and he didn't blame her. He just hoped she knew what she was doing. The next name sounded familiar.

"Jiang Fei, Initiate of the Moonflower. Owner and head of Jiang Fei and Sons Printing in the Lanzhou District of western Ba Sing Se. Cousin in the Dai Li, Xiahou Xin. Connections to many noble houses. Dai Li victim-"

"I know the rest," Siensao said, cutting him off and sitting up. That name she wrote on her list. That same list currently held a small number of names. _Zhu Liang_ was first on the list and in the end, the only one she could really be certain of, since he made the list in the first place. He'd put his own name at the top, though, which lent him a certain amount of credibility. Next was _Xiahou Xin, Zoukani, Sun Shang Zhang Ai, Siensao Zhang Ai, _and now _Jiang Fei_. No doubt there would be a few other names of note as they kept on going, but the archivist's refusal to leave her, Zoukani, and her father out of consideration was unnerving…mostly because he did have a point. The old soldier, standing in the corner, was a difficult person to know, even for her. Her father..well, the less aid the better. And because of that…did she really not know herself? Was she being too trusting? Was she herself her own worst enemy? Logically, of course, she knew it was beyond idiotic. But with all that her father had done…with all that Zoukani had done…maybe they _could_ have done it. And that, she didn't know how to respond to. Then she smelled smoke.

"_Fire!_" she shouted, leaping to her feet, scattering scrolls and papers every which way in her haste. "Move or we're dead!" At the slightest hint of a blaze in the mostly-wooden Lower Ring, every earthbender within a mile and some farther would come running to smother it or contain it, whatever it took, even if it meant demolishing a city block to do it and not even the power of the syndicate would stop them.

"No, I can stop it!" Kyuzo insisted as he followed her out the door, seeing the smoke drifting up the hallway. Without waiting for her approval, the stupid, noble fool ran towards the source instead of away and she swore, following him.

The smoke grew thicker as they ran, until they were all coughing and choking on it, but they found the crackling flames fast enough, coming from the wine cellar. Kyuzo, still in the lead, kicked down the door, nearly tumbling headlong into the makings of an inferno. But he didn't falter at the blast of searing heat that forced Siensao back, shielding her eyes. He stretched his arms out to his sides, hands open, and closed his eyes as he slowly got a grip on every last breath of flame before him. He felt its hunger to grow and consume, and felt his blood set alight with those urges. But he was in control here. Fire served him, not the other way around.

"GOT IT!"

He brought his hands up and then down in front of him, closing his fists in a quick one-two motion. All the flames flared and went out in a great _whoosh_, leaving behind even thicker clouds of smoke. Then he stumbled away, coughing again and nearly blinded. Zoukani appeared out of the smoke and helped him away.

* * *

"My enemies are getting desperate," Siensao said. "This newest assassin they've sent after me was willing to level that whole district of the Lower Ring to catch me as I ran out of a burning building. Probably had a crossbow or longbow lined up on the door. And he's not going to give up just because he missed me this time. I think this is the sort of pattern we'll see from him. Crude attacks that will work eventually, but with a lot of collateral damage. And he, or she, perhaps, likes fire. So, no luck with that lead." She kept the list in her head to herself.

"But our final lead has been more successful. Kei Dao, would you mind telling me why there's a terrified young woman tied up and gagged outside this room?"

Reki raised an eyebrow.

"Kinky."

"Sadly, it's not what you think," the assassin said, glancing to Reki ruefully. "I was staking out the restaurant where that other assassin who likes burning things was hired. I know the man, actually. In my line of work, you generally get to know just about everyone of importance in the region you work. Name of Zaku. Fire Nation colonial criminal who came here a few years ago to get away from the price on his head. Very polite, mild-mannered person when he's not working. Doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't gamble. And he's wanted for burning his wife and her lover alive."

Kyuzo turned sickly green and struggled to keep from being violently ill. Jomei just shuddered. Spike's mind was not on the proceedings at all, but on the ice spike she'd just snapped in half. She was staring blankly.

Kei Dao chuckled.

"I know, right? It's always the quiet ones you want to watch out for. Well, that terrified young woman is the one who hired him. I tracked her back to her place, invited myself in, and would have set to work, but you see, she didn't remember hiring him. And the only cause I know of such selective amnesia here in Ba Sing Se is a visit to the men in green robes. I'll need the services of one Xiahou Xin to follow up. What I do know is that her name's Jiao Chu, a weaver's apprentice."

"Of course," Siensao said with a sigh. "A White Lotus initiate. I wonder if her name is on Zhu Liang's list. Very well, just put her somewhere safe and inescapable and I'll see when Xin is available. He's a busy man and not even I can command him to appear whenever I want."

Reki stood up.

"I suppose I'll be going with him, then, as per our agreement." Her tongue played about her lips. "Is it _really_ necessary for this girl to remain…undamaged?"

"Yes," Siensao said, standing up as well to look down on the shorter woman. "It is. If anything happens to her, I'm holding you responsible, Blood Drinker."

"I have missed that name," Reki mused. "Very well, no fun." She went serious again. "For now. I won't be your tame jackal forever."

"I hardly expect so," Siensao said. "At some point, we'll get rid of you and get our friend back. That is a promise you can be sure I'll keep."

Reki shrugged and turned to leave. Then she paused and looked over her shoulder.

"By the way, Jomei, I don't see anything wrong with continuing our little lessons on fighting. If you want to learn from the master, I'll be there at the usual time." Then she left. As the door swung shut, Siensao let out a sigh, sitting back down.

"Well, that went as well as could be expected."

"It's one of those days," Kyuzo muttered, "Isn't it?"

She gave him an encouraging smile, reaching over to put a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll turn things around. We always do. I appreciate what you said, by the way. If she tries to leave Ba Sing Se, I promise we'll take her down if we have to."

"I don't know if I could do that," Jomei said, looking down at the table again. He looked to Zoukani in a silent question and the old soldier nodded gravely.

"Thanks," the miner said.

Siensao looked over to the waterbender.

"Spike, what do you need? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Spike said automatically. "I can do this."

"Well…" the merchant said hesitantly. "If you think that conditioning would help, I could arrange that. I'm not saying it's gotten to that point, just that it's an option to consider."

"I'll let you know if it does get to that point," Spike said stubbornly. "Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all. You can go now."

The waterbender promptly did just that, leaving her broken ice spike melting on the table.

"That seems to be your answer for a lot of things," Kyuzo said, frowning.

"Well, if you have a better idea for dealing with an extremely messed-up fifteen-year old resistance fighter in a reasonable period of time, I would be absolutely ecstatic to hear it," Siensao said, sounding frustrated. "Because we're kind of on a time crunch here. Sozin's Comet isn't going to wait patiently for us to get our act together. I don't like it either, but it's what there is, so I'll use it as much as I need to." She paused. "I _am_ sorry. You know that, right?"

The firebender sighed, nodding.

"I believe you." He got up and left quietly, leaving Jomei, Siensao, and Zoukani by themselves. Jomei was still studying the wood grain in the table. Siensao stood up again and moved towards the door.

"Jomei," she said softly, "It's all right. We'll get her back. She's my friend too, and I have too few of them."

Silence.

"Well, if you want to talk about it, you know where to find me."

"Yeah," the miner said shortly.

The merchant left, Zoukani going with her, and then Jomei was truly alone. He might have imagined it, but he thought he heard the faintest of whispers from his warhammer.

…_told you so._


	31. Labyrinth of Learning

**A/N:** Happy 2013, everyone! One of my resolutions is to finish this story, so let's see if I can't get it done. We have more intrigue going on than you can shake a stick at, and it's getting hard to fit so many daggers under my cloak, but I dare to hope that we will emerge from Ba Sing Se eventually. It's going to get worse before it gets better, though.

* * *

Jomei gazed into the depths of madness and saw a place almost inhuman. Reki winked at him.

"You like women with green eyes?" she asked.

"I like women who keep their minds on the matter at hand," he answered. "You said if I wanted to learn, you'd keep on with lessons on fighting. Here I am. Start talking and I'll decide if you're worth listening to."

The two of them stood in the same practice room they had occupied two days before, but the situation was so very different. Jomei felt like he was in a fighting pit with a half-wild panther-wolf. This version of Reki stood much closer to him than the previous one did.

Far from taking offense, she treated him to another terrifying smile. "_Ohhhh_, a challenge! I like challenges. All right, first lesson, all that close combat she was teaching you, it's the _last_ thing you should have been learning, not the first, though she was probably right to do it that way."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jomei demanded.

Reki's face went flat and dangerous again. She took a step forward and he took one back, involuntarily.

"That's the second time you've _disappointed_ me," she said, her voice sharp as her sword's edge. "You're not even close to my equal, Jomei dear. That isn't how this works. Let me remind you, there is _so_ very little to keep me from just taking my chances and cutting a bloody swath out of this city and back to the desert where I belong, _fuck_ Siensao and her deals. You're one of those things, because I _know_, deep down in the dark places you don't like thinking about, you _like_ me like this. You _wish_ the person you'd known was more open, willing to just _get the fuck on_ with life instead of whining about how bad a person she is and how the world would be better off if she died." She walked closer. Jomei began taking another step back but she snapped, "_Don't you dare move!_" and he stopped in his tracks. When she stood right in front of him, looking up, she continued, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper,

"So…as long as you're with me, here…you'll show me _respect_. Don't interrupt me when I'm talking. Don't raise your voice without good cause. Don't question me unless the question is intelligent enough to be worth hearing. And you'll _think_, very hard, about what I say. And in the end, perhaps you'll see that everything I did and everything I am, is exactly what you need, what you've always wanted but were afraid to ask for. _Vision. Joy. Power. Glory._ All those things and more, I can give you, and I pay the price honestly, in the blood of those who tried to stand in my way. Just…_think_ about that a while, and you'll see that I'm not evil or insane. I'm just…_glorious_. Yes, that's the word."

She stepped back, satisfied, a smile returning to her face. Jomei was left very pale, sensing he had just escaped a grim fate.

"Oh," she said, chuckling, "and if you're wondering what happens the third time, which I know you are, trust me, you don't want to know. It's rather…_messy._ Which can be good, if you like that sort of thing. But you don't. So remember, respect, Jomei dear. Now, where were we?"

He answered in a dull, weary voice.

"You were telling me why I was learning the wrong thing."

She brought her hands together in a loud clap.

"Ah yes, that's right. You see, if you're mixing it up with non-benders at close range, you're already in a bad spot. Bending is most effective at medium to long range. But she knew you'd be back against a wall in any fight you'd find yourself in – at first. She taught you to survive, first, then figured she could teach you properly if you managed to pull that off. Sensible, if boring. _I_ would have let you start the fun stuff from the beginning. But, that's in the past, so let's start now!"

"This 'fun' stuff would have involved me doing some dangerous earthbending in your direction, right?" Jomei asked hesitantly. "I don't want to do that now any more than I would have before."

"Well, do you want to learn or not?" she asked with a shrug. "There's no substitute for real experience. In the desert, I'd take you out for a caravan raid or something, but there's not really a good equivalent to that in this buzzard-wasp hive. This is the best I've got."

She snapped her fingers.

"Ah! I just remembered. Did my lesser half get around to telling you why I was exiled yet?"

"No, and I don't want to hear it from you," he said.

She waved dismissively, seeming oddly regretful.

"No, no, that's not it. See, it's kind of a funny thing…I don't really remember it. I remember just before then I had been declared a Master of the Five Sword Dances, but that's it. _She_ knows what happened, I know it, but she's never told me. So I was kind of hoping she'd told you. I don't know _everything_ that went on when I was stuck up there, so I thought maybe I missed it. Guess not."

"I just don't understand. I mean, if they exiled you as soon as whatever bad thing it was happened, they must have hated you. How did you get put in charge in the first place?"

Reki chuckled.

"When I first returned the other day, I'll bet you didn't expect me to be so reasonable about everything, right?"

"Well, no, not really," he admitted.

"That's the thing. Learn this, Jomei dear: ordinary people have rules they follow, traditions they abide by, laws they obey. And so long as you pretend like you do too, they'll underestimate you. They'll be certain that even if you're a liar, killer, and torturer, there are some things you either will or won't do, some logical pattern to what makes you go that they can count on. And by the time they realize that they are _dead wrong_, well…" she giggled. "…they're usually too late. That's how it was with my tribe's leaders. I was brilliant at fighting, so they let me fight and I made them the most powerful tribe in the western Si Wong. They thought I would never be the war leader and chieftain I became. They also thought at some point I'd stop and let things be. By the time they realized I was going to do no such thing, I'd made so many enemies, I was the only one who could keep them all at bay, and my word was law in places they never thought I'd reach. And they got to watch as I showed them, day after day, how terribly wrong they were about me. A lucky few even received some…heh, _personal_ lessons from me."

"But not your brother," Jomei said.

"My brother was a meddling, naïve fool who betrayed me for no good reason!" Reki snarled violently, making him jump. "Don't ever mention him to me again! Just thinking about that idiot makes me sick!" With a visible effort, she got herself back under control.

"Now then, back to lessons. You're going to earthbend at me and I'm going to show you how easy it is to get around it and kill you. Get started."

* * *

It hurt to realize you didn't truly know your own people, their ways and traditions, everything that made them unique. But the Fire Nation of today and that even twenty years before the war were very different. The book that Kyuzo was reading intently was entitled _The Essence of the Eternal Flame: A Study of Fire Nation Culture, Customs, and People, by Ambassador Sima Zhei of Omashu_, and inside was everything he'd wanted in his nation that hadn't already been there. A nation he could be proud of. It was his duty to learn this stuff. If by some chance he lived through the war, it was by looking to the past that they could create a better future. A thought occurred to him.

"Say," he said to Zhu Liang, who was busy sorting scrolls and books nearby, "you wouldn't happen to have any firebending scrolls or texts around here, would you?"

The archivist shook his head.

"All bending scrolls and texts are kept in the restricted section of the archives and are only lent out to recognized masters and instructors. There haven't been firebending masters in Ba Sing Se for the last hundred years, so there isn't any chance of getting hold of them anytime soon, not by legitimate means."

"This is kind of important," the firebender said. "I could really use some help and those scrolls would be better than nothing."

Zhu Liang set down his work and looked up at Kyuzo, taking off his reading glasses. "What's the problem? Maybe I can help."

"Well, in my firebending practice lately, I just…get angry. I mean, easier and more than usual. I usually start thinking about how much I want to stop the war and it goes from there to how much I hate the war and how angry I am about everything I've gone through and…well, it goes downhill from there. I mean, sure, my bending has been getting more powerful, but I just don't like being so angry. I worry I'll start getting angry outside of practice. I never got this far with my instructors in basic training, so I thought maybe one of the old masters wrote something down about this problem."

Zhu Liang nodded sympathetically.

"Well, it shouldn't be too hard to get a scroll or two the next time I'm down there. Since no one uses them, no one will notice if they're missing either. It's the least I can do for a friend of Siensao's."

Kyuzo's cheerful smile lit up the dusty archives.

"Thanks! I really appreciate it. Though, actually, I was wondering…I'm not sure if I want to know this, but I'm getting the sense something bad happened with Siensao's grandfather. What…was that?"

"It's no secret, not among the syndicates or those who know them, anyway," Zhu Liang said, "But it's not pretty, either."

"Yeah," Kyuzo said. "I kind of figured that. But maybe knowing will let me help…somehow."

Zhu Liang shrugged.

"All right. It all started with Siensao's grandfather. His name was Guo Jia Zhang Ai, and he had a rough time when he was younger. He wasn't originally meant to lead the syndicate, you know, he came to power after that branch of the family had managed to wipe each other out in deciding who was worthy to lead after the previous boss died and it took him a long time and many mistakes before he felt comfortable in the chair. And as he got older, he became rather paranoid, murderous, and temperamental. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before he snapped and a lot of people died, but no one wanted to confront him and ask him to step down. So his son, Siensao's father Sun Shang, wound up being the guy to do it. Siensao was about seventeen at the time. There was blood in the streets, of course, once he made his move, but at least a lot less then there would have been if things had gone differently. Sun Shang won quickly and Guo Jia was given the privilege of killing himself rather than being executed. "

"…wow," Kyuzo muttered.

"Yeah," Zhu Liang agreed. "Heavy stuff. Hey, I've got to go and get the next batch of returned scrolls. I'll be right back." The archivist moved off through the massive bookshelves.

He hardly made it halfway there before his master appeared. He froze.

"I have another task for you."

Zhu Liang nodded glumly.

* * *

Jomei felt the presence of the spirits once again, but it was not as it had been in Jukana, where he was the outsider in more ways than one, and the sensation was akin to drowning. The shrine he now entered, one of the small, ornate Upper Ring temples where the spirits of Earth were honored, felt like peace, patience, and solidity, as though the stone under his feet was stronger than it should be. The tiger-seal marking on his hammer, which by now was nearly gone, flared slightly brighter as he walked in, and he heard a faint growl.

Following Siensao's directions, he descended a flight of stairs into a small chamber, perhaps twenty paces across. All was prepared for his arrival. In the center of the room was a stone altar, with Hanhei's ancestor tablet standing on it, along with a couple sticks of burning incense in a bowl of sand as an offering to his spirit. Lines of ancient characters covered the altar, graven deeply into the stone, and the room was brightly lit with glowcrystals that burned almost white rather than green, placed in specific patterns, and an old scroll lay unrolled on a low wooden table before the altar.

"Ah, you are Jomei, then?" the room's lone occupant asked him, bowing politely. "Most pleased to meet you."

Luo Qu, so Siensao told him, was much in demand for dealing with ancestral spirits of all stripes, in all parts of the city. Ba Sing Se was ancient and as such, had uncounted ancestors to deal with, many of which would bring misfortune to mortals unless properly dealt with. Luo Qu also worked with the tombs of the noble families and was a font of advice on proper _feng shui_ arrangements.

The spiritualist was a man only just entering middle age, with a stout, fleshy look, a flowing beard, and a few graying strands in his long queue of black hair, wearing robes of green and yellow to mark his status as an honored attendant of the Upper Ring shrines.

"Yeah, good to meet you too," Jomei answered him, his own slight bow still awkward and self-conscious even after everything. It would never come easily to him again, not as the polite gesture it was mean to be. "Looks like you're all set up here. So, what's going to happen?"

"I will explain everything in good time. Please place the weapon on the altar and sit down there." The spiritualist's tone was lofty and somewhat condescending. Jomei bristled, but did as he was told, taking a seat on the far side of the table from the altar. Liu Qu examined the weapon with a critical eye before sitting down across from the miner and raising his arms to let his sleeves fall back.

"You were fortunate I had an opening today," he remarked. "Whatever painted savage put that binding there, they were obviously out of their depth. Mix Water and Earth and you get a muddy result, spiritually as well as literally. Now that you're here, I can perform a _proper_ ritual of binding and drag Hanhei's spirit out of the space between the worlds that it has gotten into. He will be fully present in the mortal world, and quite firmly bound to that hammer."

"You can't kick him all the way into the Spirit World?" Jomei asked, frowning. "I just want to get rid of him."

Luo Qu sighed.

"I'll try and explain this as simply as I can. He is a powerful spirit, for a mortal shade, and has spent a long time establishing a grip on that weapon. The deal between the two of you gives him a link to the mortal world that it would do great damage to forcibly break. The only way for a quick, permanent, and peaceable separation for you two is if Hanhei agrees to let go. He'll probably be quite a bit more lucid if he isn't seeing part of destiny's tapestry in his head. It's not surprising he's gone mad after seeing that for years on end. There are things mortals were not meant to know. Do you have any questions?"

"What should I do while you're doing all of this?"

"Try not to distract me, the invocation for this situation is a complicated and lengthy one and if I make a single mistake, it will cause great harm to your spirit. It was a task to find the correct scroll. Anything else?"

"No," Jomei said, crossing his arms. _So long as this guy is as good as he says, nothing else matters._

"Then we'll begin."

Luo Qu cleared his throat, then bent over the scroll and began reading aloud, his voice calm, almost monotone, as he recited the mystical phrases. He spoke on and on, and Jomei felt a power gathering atop the altar, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, prickling like ants about his shoulders. Luo Qu droned on, and behind him, Jomei saw the symbol of the tiger-seal gleam icy blue one last time and then fade completely with a barely-audible _whuff_ that left the scent of the sea in the room, which swiftly vanished, replaced by the smell of mountain flowers and the warm, stale air of the mines. The incense had burned out but the smoke lingered, drifting about the hammer in a grey shroud.

Luo Qu smoothly unrolled the scroll at one end and rolled it up at the other as he continued to speak, his voice never changing tone or volume. Now, Jomei saw Hanhei's ghostly blue form take shape within the shell of incense smoke, lying on the altar, both hands holding the hammer. The spirit's eyes opened and he let out a howl of pure rage and hate.

"_**No! You don't understand, I can see it, I need to be able to warn them!**_" He rose up, and to his astonishment, Jomei saw his warhammer, scraping on the stone, rise up as if lifted by the spirit's arms, and make to bring it down on Luo Qu's head.

The weapon halted in midair and the carven characters on the altar flashed white for an instant, though there was no sound of impact. Hanhei kept battering on the invisible barrier, but to no avail, as Luo Qu continued chanting as though nothing was happening. The scroll was rapidly approaching its end, and as it did so, the spiritualist shifted into actually speaking in plain language, if a little archaic.

"_By the gift of earth and iron that made thy weapon, by the wisdom and craft of the mortal who shaped it, by the weight of the mountains of your home, by the blood thou sharest with thy living kindred, Hanhei of Teoro Village, child of Earth, __**thou**__**art**__**bound**__._" The last three words resonated, sounding louder than they should have, and Hanhei let out another great yell as he was seemingly drawn into the hammer like water down a drain. On the last word, he was gone, and the weapon clanged on the altar. Luo Qu waited a moment in silence, then finished rolling up the scroll and nodded, satisfied, still wearing the same unruffled look that he'd started with.

"There. I have bound him. Now it's up to you to convince him to be willing to leave. When he is, return to me."

"Uh, thanks," Jomei said, rather impressed with how easily he had dealt with the spirit that had been plaguing the miner for months.

"You're quite welcome," Luo Qu said, a little absently, already busying himself tidying up the place. "Think nothing of it."

Jomei moved forward and cautiously reached a hand towards the hammer's handle. As his fingers brushed the leather-wrapped metal, he heard his grandfather's voice in his head.

_Jomei? What…what just happened? I can't see…well, anything._ The spirit sounded quite confused. But the miner didn't feel the strange pressure on his mind that meant Hanhei was trying to get into his head. He picked up the hammer and returned it to its place on his back, letting out a sigh of relief.

_For once, Grandad, just be quiet and leave me alone. You'll work it out soon enough and the mental exercise will build character._

He heard only silence and rejoiced as he left the shrine. _That's one problem down, a few hundred to go._

* * *

"You don't seem as insane as I've heard," Xiahou Xin said to Reki mildly.

The swordswoman shrugged.

"You don't seem as ruthless as I've heard. What of it?"

He chuckled.

"Well, I'd expected more evil laughter, constantly killing people for no good reason, trying to take over the Lower Ring gangs and make the streets run red, that sort of thing."

"And I'd expected more absurd seriousness, casual arresting of people, and hanging in the rafters spying on the people of the city, that sort of thing," she said, matching his smile.

"Aw, give her a chance, Xin," Kei Dao urged him. "She's insane enough for an asylum. She's more cracked than a Wei Dynasty urn. She's nuttier than a den of squirrel-bats. I can do this sort of thing all day, you want me to keep going?"

"You're too kind," Reki said, bowing her head. "I mean that literally, by the way."

Kei Dao looked crestfallen.

"I can change, honest! I just need a little time to get used to the whole bloody torturing thing, it just isn't my usual line of work, that's all."

The two of them shared a laugh, then Reki got down to business.

"Okay Xin, what've you got for us?"

"One traumatized young woman that needs a great deal of care which she isn't going to get from the two of you," he answered, deadpan. "De-conditioning is not a pleasant experience, especially when done mostly by force. You're lucky it was me doing it."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the greatest thing since sandbending," Reki said dismissively. "Are we going to have to question her or did you already take care of that?"

"You're paying me for full service, which includes questioning. I followed the list you gave me as closely as I could."

Kei Dao made a 'get on with it' gesture.

"So, what did she say?"

"She was kidnapped one day by someone whose face she never saw. Periodically since then, her conditioning was activated by a different person and she was sent on various unsavory jobs regarding contacting the more vicious elements of the Lower Ring criminals. Oh, and Smiley did her conditioning."

"Oh, he's still around?" Kei Dao said, not sounding too pleased. "Has he at least had a couple teeth knocked out?"

"I don't much care for it when people talk about things in front of me without explaining what I don't know first," Reki said, her voice poisonously sweet.

"Smiley's the Dai Li Agent in charge of handling the conditioning for the Joo Dees," Kei Dao explained. "Real name is Dong Zhuo. We just call him that since he was picked for the job more on account of his smile than his personality, skills, or morals. The last one I don't care much about, but there's just no variety in his humor and that I can't forgive."

"You _are_ too kind by half," Xin said, frowning. "The man is a blunt instrument whose conditioning is basic and overt and his mind is a sewer. If you want to try and get him to talk, you're welcome to try, though I won't stand for any actual harm being done to a brother of mine. Do that and you lose my services and gain the enmity of the Dai Li."

"Oh, don't worry, we'll be gentle," Reki assured him. "It's been a while since I've had the chance for a real challenge in interrogation. Limitations like that are always challenging. Where can we find him?"

"Today's his day off, so off with one or more of the Joo Dees is my guess," Xin answered, sounding disgusted. "I can give you a list of places to search and I'll even take Jiao Chu to one of Siensao's safe houses. Frankly, I don't trust the two of you with her."

"See, that's why we came to you in the first place," Kei Dao said, grinning, "Because you're smart that way."

* * *

Kyuzo entered Siensao's lair—for so he had dubbed it in his head—to find her poring over reports again, scribbling annotations in the margins of letters and taking notes. She'd tied her sleeves back and ink stained her hands from where she'd brushed up against recent writing. She looked tired, pushing stray hairs back behind one ear. Zoukani stood behind her with a long-suffering look. But when she looked up and saw him, she smiled and set down the brush.

"Ah, hello Kyuzo. I didn't expect you back so soon from the archives. Is that a firebending scroll in that box you're carrying?"

"Several, actually," Kyuzo admitted sheepishly. "I just thought I'd stop in to see if there was anything I could do to help out here."

She shook her head with a sigh.

"Believe me, I wish there were. If I want to make use of syndicate resources, I have to devote a certain amount of time to running the operation and take some pressure off my father. It's much more tedious than you might think. This gang has a blood feud with that one that must be stopped, the other syndicates are always on the lookout for weakness and trying to take over our businesses, prices are up on one thing and down on another so we have to shift assets to take advantage of it, and on and on and on. Being a rich merchant involves a lot of work if you want to stay rich, especially when you can't trust your underlings to get it right. I really appreciate the offer, though, that may be the first time someone has wanted to help with this."

"Well, if you have a minute, I've been wondering about something."

"I'm all ears," she assured him, gesturing for him to take a seat across from her, which he did.

"Well…you know how things have been going all right between me and Jomei ever since Jingzao, right? He actually calls me by my name now and doesn't assume I'm an evil thug."

"Quite true," Siensao agreed, "And I'm all for it."

"Right, but he still doesn't know about Jura. And he must be really worried about her right now, the same as I am."

Siensao knew at once where he was going with this and was absurdly grateful she didn't have to feign ignorance anymore. There weren't many people with whom she felt comfortable showing off her perception.

"Kyuzo, if you're thinking of telling him about you and Jura's relationship, I would strongly advise against it."

"But it just doesn't seem right to keep it from him, I mean, she's his sister, he deserves to know," Kyuzo argued, a worried expression on his face. "There's never going to be a good time to do it, he'll probably get mad either way, at last now maybe he'll hear me out about how it happened before he tries to kill me."

"Yes, all of those are good points," Siensao conceded. "However, I must point out that regardless of whether or not he tries to kill you, I doubt he'll think of you as well for quite some time until he wraps his mind around the idea and we just don't have the time. We might need the two of you on a mission together at a moment's notice and if you aren't getting along, everything we've worked for is in danger. I just don't think it's a risk worth taking."

"So, you're telling me no," Kyuzo said, hanging his head.

Siensao paused, then, very aware of what she was doing, shook her head.

"I can't tell you how to run your life, Kyuzo," she said. "I do _strongly_ advise against it, and must insist that if you do want to go through with it, have a guard with you at the time, but if you want to risk your life, go right ahead."

"Um…well, thanks," Kyuzo said, surprised. "I really appreciate your support." He sighed. "But, I suppose you're right. Maybe if we ever get back to Omashu, I can let Jura tell him."

He had no way of knowing that Siensao had never, until that moment, voluntarily given up control of something that she _could_ control with certainty, not in regards to something so important. But she did, and even as she wondered what she was doing, she knew that it felt…good to do. The sort of thing she'd do for a friend.

"One thing, though, Kyuzo," she said as he turned to leave.

"Yeah?"

"About you and Spike…is there anything I should know about?"

"What?!" The firebender gaped at the question, taken aback.

"Well, she does spend more time with you than the rest of us and she actually talks to you sometimes without being spoken to. And you yourself told me that until you met Jura, you were quite successful with women. Should I be worried about something?"

"No!" Now Kyuzo was indignant. "For Agni's sake, she's way too young for me, she's too dull and lifeless most of the time and too depressed the rest of the time, her home is too cold for me and her job is killing my countrymen…I could go on for a while, all right? What gave you that idea?"

"Well, she's fairly pretty if you like them young and Water Tribe, you're a man, it's quite common. Most soldiers don't even think of such dalliances as worth worrying about after they get back home, at least in the Earth Kingdom. Why else spend so much time with her?"

"Because I thought she needed a friend more than anyone else in our little company! Is that so hard to believe?"

Siensao raised her hands to ward off his objections.

"Not at all, but I do tend to assume the worst case scenario in most things, so I'd rather make sure. I was just asking. Now I know, and I'm sorry if I offended you." Though Kyuzo was, ironically enough, probably the best liar in the group, not counting herself, Siensao knew that in this at least he was being truthful.

"All right, well, apology accepted," he said, mollified. "Can I go now?"

"Go right ahead," she said, nodding, and he left the office. She looked to Zoukani, who seemed very proud, and remarked, "I just gave him permission to cause no end of problems, didn't I?"

He nodded.

"So why don't I feel like I did wrong?"

He pointed at her, made a 'thinking' gesture, then a thumps-up. _You'll figure it out._

"I'd like that," she said. "I'd like that very much. But first, back to work."

* * *

Xin reflected that the life of a Dai Li agent was much less adventurous than it sounded most of the time as he crept along the rooftops, trailing Reki and Kei Dao as they went around the city, searching for Smiley. A lot of the time, it was just walking around looking for trouble, or just watching people do perfectly ordinary and boring things, waiting for a seditious phrase or plan, or even tutoring the noble scions and those wealthy enough to buy admittance to the cultural heritage education classes the ministryoffered. While the Dai Li's primary role was no longer keeping Ba Sing Se's traditions intact and unchanging, they still did a great deal of that and Xin had had more knowledge pounded into his head than he ever thought possible for it to hold.

They reached the fourth place that he'd recommended they check at about midday, a Middle Ring 'tea house,' as the local slang went, that was known for making use of the man's conditioning services for their workers. He was definitely not supposed to be doing that, but the general attitude towards it, as towards pretty much everything that happened inside the Dai Li, was that Long Feng knew about it and if he wanted it to stop, he'd say so, as he had with other things before. Xin found a semi-comfortable spot on the next rooftop and settled down to wait.

Before they even went in, they made preparations. On the way there, they'd passed through a market and bought a length of cloth about twenty paces long, the heaviest and toughest kind available, and hired a few sturdy porters that wouldn't ask questions. Now they laid the cloth across the narrow alley behind the brothel's back door so that it reached all the way across the street, and covered it with a thin layer of dirt. The porters knelt down at either end, rubbing some dirt onto their faces and hands to look like filthy beggars. Then Reki and Kei Dao entered the building.

Unseen, Xin smiled, knowing what was coming. _I'll have to remember this one._

A few moments later, Smiley dove out a ground-floor window, lacking much in the way of clothes, and got a few paces away before the trap was sprung. The porters yanked on both ends of the cloth and launching Smiley into the air. When he hit the cloth again, they twisted him up in it so fast he never got a chance to bend, much less see what was going on, and they kept him off the ground, with his limbs pinned too tightly to do much. Reki dove out the window after him, saw to it that the bundle containing their prisoner was securely tied, and one of the porters slung it over his shoulder. Kei Dao made a more sedate exit a moment later out the back door, leading a young black-haired woman who looked as though she'd gotten dressed in a hurry, but still wore the recognizable gold robes and green scarf of a Joo Dee.

Squinting down at them, Xin's jaw dropped. Then he got _angry_. He stood from his hiding spot and slid down the roof, dropping to the ground and landing in a crouch close by the assassin and swordswoman. Neither of them were surprised to see him, but the porters froze in terror.

"Hey, Xin," Reki said amiably. "You like our earthbender trap? It's an old trick I came up with back in the desert when dealing with particularly persistent sandbenders individually. Works great, huh?"

"I'll be taking charge of your prisoner," Xin said in a voice devoid of friendliness. "You don't need to worry about his questioning anymore."

"Whatever happened to 'Oh, I can't possibly do that, he's like a brother to me and it would be wrong and blah, blah, blah, ethics where there shouldn't be any, blah!' Reki asked curiously. "Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"That's none of your concern," he told her. She smiled.

"Now _that's_ the Dai Li I was expecting to see. Maybe there's hope for you after all. And _I'll_ decide what's my concern. It's the girl, isn't it?" She saw a split-second flicker pass over his face and her smile became demonic in its satisfaction.

"Knew it. What's she to you?"

"Um, Reki, we kind of need to not be hunted by the entire Dai Li," Kei Dao pointed out nonchalantly. "Bad for business and Siensao's orders and all that. Just as a reminder."

"I'm not going to ask again," Xin said, assuming a fighting stance. "Hand over the prisoner, _now_."

"Okay, guess she wasn't that important after all," Reki said with a shrug, and drew her sword, swinging the length of steel towards Joo Dee's neck.

"Stop!" Xin barked, years of practice preventing him from showing the warring emotions inside him, alarm battling with fury.

Reki jabbed at the woman's neck, blood welling up at the point of her sword. Joo Dee made a frightened whimper, starting to cry, her breathing fast and shallow. The swordswoman locked eyes with Xin and he saw little humanity there.

"_And why should I?_" she asked in an excited whisper, running her tongue across her lips.

Xin relented.

"I'll explain on the way, when prying ears aren't listening." He glanced at their hired help significantly, and was fairly sure one of them had pissed his pants by now. The Dai Li had that effect on people.

Reki looked over.

"Well, you heard him. Kei Dao, be a dear and get them on their way, we'll catch up in a few seconds."

The assassin made a sweeping bow.

"But of course, my lady. Come on, boys, this is man talk here. Give'em some breathing room." They headed off down the alley and Xin moved up close to Reki, whose sword remained rock steady. Joo Dee was still too terrified to form a coherent thought, much less speak, her eyes focused on the sword at her throat.

"Her name," Xin said in a guarded whisper, "is Xiang Chai Fei. She's Jiang Fei's daughter and my first cousin, once removed."

Reki removed her sword from the woman's neck, licked off the blood, and sheathed it.

"Well," she said with a chuckle. "Isn't that interesting? _Do_ tell me more."

"Once I'm done with Smiley's conditioning," Xin said. "Once he's answered for his crimes. Then we'll talk."

Reki nodded.

"I like the way you think."

"You couldn't say anything that would offend me more," he informed her.

She laughed again.

"That's why I said it."


	32. Necessity of Order

**A/N:** Hello once again. My apologies for the long delay, but this little mini-arc with Reki is something I wanted to mostly finish up and make sure it was all okay before I released it into the world. It checks out, so now we have a special update schedule. This week only, chapters every two days! And we're coming up fast on our next brush with canon. As always, many thanks to Sylvacoer for editing work and excellent advice. Enjoy the show.

* * *

Xiahou Xin didn't enjoy his work with conditioning the way some others did, though he had it better than some other agents. He handled noble scions considering sedition or sometimes those whose families wanted subtle prodding to become responsible, wealthy families who got uppity and started getting ideas about disrupting order, troublemakers trying to break traditions, and occasionally, syndicate members who forgot their place and started plotting against the Earth King. It was subtle and delicate work and he took pride in a job well done. But he never enjoyed it…until today. Today had been a long time coming, but so far, it was just as satisfying as he'd imagined.

"You're insane," Smiley told him, his signature expression rather strained and frightened, sweat trickling down his face. "You can't possibly expect to get away with this. Long Feng will have you killed within the day."

"Will he?" Xin asked with a little smile of his own. "And who's going to tell him? You took a lot of pains to avoid being recognized as Dai Li when you visited that brothel. No uniform, no insignia, no nothing. They probably thought you were a rich idiot who had rented out one of the Joo Dees. Your kidnapping was an unfortunate incident, nothing more, and I made sure no one saw you brought here. It's your day off. You won't be missed before it's too late and when you return, you will be the exact same wretched excuse for a human being as before and no one will notice _anything_. Trust me. I do good work."

"This is about _order!_" Smiley objected, getting angry. "It's only the Dai Li that maintain order in this city and we do it because we can all trust each other! You can't take that away! It's the one rule none of us break!"

"How would we know?" Xin mused thoughtfully. "Maybe all of us, at some point, were conditioned by those who came before, those truly loyal to Long Feng, and our ways of thinking were subtly altered. But if you'd like to talk about order, I gave you a very simple order a long time ago. Perhaps you remember it?" His little grin vanished and his face became the stony mask that every citizen of Ba Sing Se knew and feared. "**Don't**_** fuck**_** with my cousin**."

Smiley swallowed hard, but immediately began trying to explain himself.

"Yes, I know, but-"

Xin held a hand up with a pained look.

"Smiley, when you've heard criminals try and make excuses when you've arrested them, how many times have you listened or cared?"

The other man fell silent.

"So, as I said, one very simple order. If you couldn't obey it, I really don't see why the order of the Dai Li would protect you. I've put up with everything you and your cronies do to those women because I believe that sacrifices are necessary to safeguard what's left of the Earth Kingdom. I do not believe that letting you have your way with Xiang Chai Fei is a necessary sacrifice. A thin line, perhaps, but there it is. And here we are."

"It's not like it matters to her, nothing matters to her except doing as she's told, you know that, even if you keep on this way, nothing about that will change! She isn't going to just go back to her family and have everything be all lovey-dovey! There's no good reason for you to do this! She's just a Joo Dee!"

Xin shook his head.

"Whatever name she answers to, whatever she is, I still promised Jiang Fei I'd look after her and clearly, I've failed in that. All that remains now is to try and make up for it. And I think I'll start with you. Try and relax." His little smile reappeared. "It's perfectly safe. You should know."

* * *

Siensao looked at the thick stack of paper that Xiahou Xin had just placed on her desk with something akin to delight.

"So," Reki said, "after we delivered Smiley gift wrapped to Xin, we found out more than I'd really expected to. He was very thorough."

"Hey, what about me?" Kei Dao asked. "I captured another brainwashed woman. I'm thinking of starting a collection."

Zoukani spared a disapproving glance towards the assassin and Kei Dao fell silent, rolling his eyes.

"How much of the unwilling Black Lotus members do you think we just uncovered?" the merchant asked Xin, smiling. He didn't look happy at all, which made her worried.

"I'd estimate two-thirds to three-quarters of them, Smiley fobbed off some of the work onto one of his cronies. With what we learn from them, we can probably get most of the willing members as well, and we have more than enough evidence to bring before a White Lotus tribunal to convict them. In short, in those papers is the heart of the Black Lotus."

"But not the head," Siensao murmured. "So long as the mastermind remains at large, we still have a problem. Now, Xin, you wouldn't take time out of your day just to tell me what I could find out from reading these for myself and you wouldn't have brought Reki and Kei Dao back with you either. What's wrong?"

Xin sighed.

"Jiang Fei isn't on the list but he has been implicated. He was the one that used Jiao Chu to hire the assassin Zaku. He said it was on orders from your father, with the official seal of the syndicate and everything. Also, Zhu Liang also isn't on the list, but Smiley did work on him, it was one of the jobs meant to keep him from being conditioned by anyone else, but that means anyone who knows the command phrase has that archivist in his pocket."

For once in her life, Siensao was left utterly speechless. The world took on a strange, detached nature as she slowly stood up from behind her desk. She heard Xin saying something else, Reki and Kei Dao interjecting their own comments, but didn't understand. Then everything tilted sideways and she began sliding into a dark pit. Everything went black.

When she woke up, she found herself laying on top of her desk with a small cushion under her head and Xin, Reki, and Kei Dao leaning over her, looking concerned, eager, and curious, in that order. _Oh my. I just fainted. I haven't done that since I was seventeen. This is so embarrassing. Wait a minute, did Xin just say…_

"Are you all right?" Xin asked.

She raised a hand and gestured for him to come closer. He did so. She gestured again, and he leaned down closer still. Then he winced as she yelled into his ear.

"_You knew this for how many days and didn't tell me?! You de-conditioned Jiao Chu days ago! You just let me go on my merry way when my life might have been put in danger by quite possibly the single most dangerous man in the entire city?!_"

He straightened up, rubbing at his ear, and answered matter-of-factly, "No, because I didn't find out from her. Jiang Fei took precautions to keep from being recognized when he went to hire an assassin, Jiao Chu hardly knows anyone who spoke with her about such things. Smiley told me that Jiang Fei asked him who to talk to about hiring someone and he pointed him towards Jiao Chu. He mentioned it was on official syndicate business, seal and all, but Smiley never saw the seal or any such letter, so I'm inclined to believe this is a ploy to make Sun Shang look suspicious."

"You three, back off!" Siensao snapped, waving them away and heaving herself upright again, fighting off a wave of dizziness. "And you have no idea what he's capable of! That might be just what he wants you to think. Sometimes the truth is the best lie of all."

"Hey, pull yourself together," Reki said, patting her on the shoulder. "It's not like he's invincible. Just give the word and we'll run over, kill him, and be back in time for tea. It'll take three minutes. Five, tops. Why not kill a few more suspicious people while you're at it? Shake this city up a bit." She grinned, raising her eyebrows. "You know you want to."

"I'll bring my tools if you want to get some real satisfaction out of it," Kei Dao said, beaming. "Of course, I'll have to charge you for the rent of them, these are top-line interrogation instruments."

Siensao's patience ran out and the assassin found himself staring at the business end of her sword as she hauled out the katana in the quick-draw move that Reki had taught her.

"_**This isn't one of your fucking jokes, you slimy little arrow toad!**_" she shouted, her voice gone high and shrill. "_**So if you don't want the manner of your **_**death**_** to become a joke in VERY short order, you'll take this seriously for once in your pathetic life!**_"

"Nice form," Reki complimented her approvingly.

Zoukani had stepped forward, ready to interpose if necessary.

"I know you were serious, Blood Drinker, and I find I don't really care what you have to say either!" the merchant snapped.

"Clearly not, though I thought I taught you never to draw a sword in anger," Reki snapped back, for an instant sounding like her old self. Siensao glanced over, surprised, but the moment, if there was one, had gone and she was back to lounging insolently against the wall, making a show out of examining her fingernails.

"Siensao," Xin said calmly, "put the sword away, please, and calm down."

"Oh, and I suppose if you just found out your father was possibly involved in an ongoing plot to kill you, you'd be perfectly calm!" she retorted. But she did at least lower her sword and Kei Dao breathed a little easier.

No longer distant, Siensao's thoughts were like a maelstrom, carrying her along to places she didn't want to go and with no idea where she would end up. _ Is my father really behind all this? Or is he working against some other side of me? Did I arrange all this myself to distract this side of me from the real mastermind? Is Zoukani involved in some way? If I can't trust myself, than can I trust anyone around me? Does Spike have secret orders from Xing? Is Kyuzo really that optimistic? Is Jomei really so simple? And they all know far too much about me and the syndicate and Ba Sing Se._ It was all insubstantial, paranoid foolishness, but after so long spent worrying about every last possibility, it was just too much to take. She could feel the fear beginning to spiral out of control again, pushing away rational thought.

What brought her back to reality was the faint scrape of a writing stick through sand. She turned and saw Zoukani had quietly gotten out his little box and was scratching characters into it. Finishing his work, he stepped aside to let her see what he'd written.

_Talk to your friends. That's what we're for._

Those simple words of encouragement made her see what was happening. _That's right. I'm not used to having friends. I forget about that. Kei Dao and the Blood Drinker are certainly not my friends. All right. I can do this. I just need to think._

Zoukani was writing again.

_If you're afraid of your father, it isn't just because of this. Don't be like your grandfather._

Now _that_ well and truly shocked her out of worrying about anything else. _Was this how it was for grandfather in the end? Is that how you go mad, you just stop trusting anyone and thinking there's nowhere you can turn and no one you can talk to? No. I won't be like that._

"Thank you," she said to Zoukani, forcing her voice above a whisper. He shrugged, and scribbled a couple more characters.

_You're welcome._

"All right," she said, turning around to face Xin, Reki, and Kei Dao again, putting away her sword. "So someone wants me to think that Jiang Fei is working against me. I go to get information out of him that will lead me on to the next link in the chain that I'm meant to find, all the while patting myself on the back for how clever I am. Xiang Chai Fei was the leverage and Smiley sold that leverage to the true mastermind."

"I was going to mention that next," Xin said, looking relieved that things were back on track. "He did confirm he's been selling favors—no surprise there—and that Zaku came to him looking for leverage on Jiang Fei, but he wouldn't say on whose behalf. He also directed the printer to Jiao Chu as the vehicle for anonymous hiring of assassins."

"Sub-par assassins," Kei Dao corrected him, annoyed. "I never got a job in my life from that woman so clearly her standards aren't all that high."

"Perhaps not, but she has excellent taste," Reki said, and Kei Dao laughed again.

"And so I put the screws to Jiang Fei and eventually he gives up a name or two," Siensao continued thinking aloud, ignoring the banter. "Also, the lead I got on Zaku's current whereabouts is probably accurate, and once I capture him, Jiang Fei's admissions will be confirmed and so I'll be thinking I'm even cleverer than usual for confirming what I've learned. And from there, the trap snaps shut on our scapegoat, the person we probably weren't supposed to find out about." She looked up. "Zhu Liang, senior archivist of Ba Sing Se University. Smiley might have talked about Jiang Fei and Zaku under questioning, but he would never have given up more information than he needed to and we would never have known to ask about Zhu Liang or been able to get such a complete list of names out of him. But, I'll bet Liang knows who the real mastermind is."

"Well, then let's go and get him," Reki said, grinning. "If he's brainwashed, we can do all sorts of fun things with him besides just asking questions. I like new toys, but they break _so_ easily."

"Just what I had in mind, minus the breaking and your notion of fun," Siensao agreed. "He'll never see us coming. But now that it's known we questioned Smiley, doubtless we're meant to get to Jiang Fei quickly, so we had better move fast or I suspect he'll be gone before we get there. Kei Dao, if you would go and get Jomei, Kyuzo and Spike, as fast as possible, I would appreciate that. This time, we're all going and we're going to get some answers one way or another."

* * *

Once again, Jomei marched to war. Everything up until this point inside the walls had been skirmishes and raids, quiet and secretive so far as such things went. Ba Sing Se buried everything under layers of secrets and subterfuge, even death. But now, he recognized the hollow, wavering feeling in the pit of his stomach to be the fear that going to war brought and the acidic thrill rushing through him to be the knowledge that very soon, he would probably have to fight for his life. He wore the heavy armor of an Earth Army earthbender, and had even foregone his fur cap in favor of the upside-down bowl steel helmet that went with it. _The silver strings come to a tangle,_ Hanhei whispered. _They will pull you off your feet. The child of war will see and yet not see. I wish I could be clearer. My memories of destiny are fading. But this is important._ All about him, his friends and companions were also prepared.

Siensao openly wore a sword for the first time since entering Omashu and he could faintly see the bulges of armor under her robes. Kyuzo carried twin bandoliers crammed with bombs under a cloak. Spike again carried two large waterskins and under her blue and white clothes she wore lightweight steel ringmail. Kei Dao carried a sickle-and-chain in addition to his usual collection of knives. Only Zoukani and Reki looked the same.

Their company would never have gone unnoticed on the streets, but Siensao had memorized the mind-bogglingly intricate route that they took below the city, through the maze of passages. They stood upon a large slab of stone that Jomei shoved along as quickly and quietly as possible. Every minute counted and he wouldn't let them be too late.

The tunnels did not extend below the archives. The Zhang Ai syndicate, Dai Li, _and_ White Lotus had seen to that. The knowledge contained within was priceless to all of them and they would never risk theft or other harm to it. Instead, they emerged from below the earth into a janitor's closet just outside the library. The university students scattered before them as they marched swiftly inside. The woman sitting at the front desk swallowed hard as they walked up, Siensao in front.

"Good morning," the merchant said politely. "Where might we find Zhu Liang?"

"Wh-what do you want with him?" the librarian asked, her voice shaking.

"I don't have time to explain," Siensao said. "I could tell you that I represent some very powerful people who have some very important questions to ask him. I could tell you that speaking to him is of vital importance to the welfare of this city, this university, and everyone who lives here. I could remind you that I've been coming here to speak to him for a while now and if I wanted to do something bad I would have done so by now. I could tell you that things will shortly become very unpleasant for you if you don't answer me and extremely rewarding if you do. I might even brandish a weapon a little bit, just to make my point."

The librarian stared, without words.

"But I'm not going to do any of that," Siensao said softly, still as calm as still water, "Because I really don't have the time."

"I…I understand," she finally said sadly. "He's in the history section, row B4."

"Thank you very much," the merchant said, and the company departed.

The silence in the dusty stacks was as thick and old as the stones of the Outer Wall and their footsteps made them sound like an invading army, come to end that tranquility. As they approached the specified row, Siensao silently directed them to encircle the place, in groups of two. Reki and Spike went right, Kei Dao and Kyuzo went left, which left Jomei, Zoukani, and herself to bring up the center. After giving the others a moment to get into position, they rounded the corner and found the archivist diligently at work halfway down the row, sorting and shelving and re-shelving books and scrolls, in defiance of his high station.

Turning to face them, a look of surprise passed over his features, but gave way to a bone-deep weariness as he saw their manner of approach.

"I can only assume," he said, "this isn't a social call."

"Zhu Liang," Siensao intoned, "the-"

"Finish that sentence and you destroy the Earth Kingdom," he interrupted her and she stopped before completing the command phrase, her eyes narrowing.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

He gestured to the sea of paper, parchment, and bamboo around them.

"We stand in the history section. Within these walls is held all the knowledge from the past five thousand years of the Earth Kingdom. All that we know of our kingdom, ourselves, our culture, our identity, is here. Only Wan Shi Tong's library, presuming it exists, could claim a more expansive collection. But, you have seen for yourself Zaku's skill with the application of flame quite recently. He has, he has told me, a slow-burning candle located somewhere in here, next to a store of lantern oil and blasting jelly. He's quite a talented alchemist, you know. If only I could persuade him to set down what he knows, we could make some real progress in that field. If he doesn't return and replace it every twelve hours, it will light the fuse and all that is the Earth Kingdom will perish in fire. He will not replace it if he hears I abandoned my post without explanation to go with you and your friends. I'm standing behind the finest paper shield in the world and the only one of its kind. That's what I mean."

"And?" Reki called down at him. Looking up, Jomei found her perched atop one of the bookshelves alongside Spike, legs dangling over the edge and sword laid across her lap. "Why should we care?"

"Not now, Reki," Siensao said absently, stark horror on her face for the world to see. "Liang, you've spent half your life working here. You know these books are _irreplaceable_. You _can't_ do this."

"And yet, it seems I have," he replied sadly. "You attempted to command me, which means there's no point in hiding it. I was commanded to pretend I'm the head of the Black Lotus, so that when I committed suicide in captivity, you'd think you had gotten all of them who mattered at last. But if the charade is exposed, that command is no longer valid, so I may say that this last resort was not my idea and I _do_ know what these books mean. I don't have a choice in the matter. Also, if there's no chance of escape, I…I'm supposed to kill myself, so _please_, let me go. If you do, Zaku will tell you where the fuse is once he's made sure I'm safely hidden. I'm begging you, Siensao, it isn't worth it, winning isn't worth losing all of this!"

"And so we come to it at last," Reki said, satisfied. "You're weak, Siensao Zhang Ai, because you value things, you want things, and so you fail. I'd let this place burn and dance in the ashes. I'm guessing you'll just let him walk away."

Siensao _knew_ right then, that at all costs, she couldn't let Zhu Liang walk away, that that would be the trigger to make the Blood Drinker leave her service, then and there, in a bloody fashion and she raced to find a way out.

"Permission to take the shot?" Spike asked, ice spike drawn back and ready to throw.

"Denied," Siensao replied, not taking her eyes off the archivist.

"Why don't we just ask him where Zaku is, go and get him, and make him tell us where the bomb is?" Jomei asked. "Seems simple enough to me."

"There's no sure way to know that we'd get him to talk in time," Siensao answered absently, "Even with the Blood Drinker and myself working on him. Or that we'd take him alive at all."

"We could wait until he comes back to replace the candle," Kyuzo put in from the other end of the aisle.

"No, we were seen coming in here, that librarian will talk. If we don't come out, he'll know we're waiting for him and refuse to show up," Siensao said, shaking her head. "Quiet, all of you. I need to think."

"You don't have time," Zhu Liang murmured. "I need to leave now." He started walking towards her.

"Kyuzo," Siensao said. "How good are you at sensing flame that you can't see?"

The firebender knew what she meant and was much relieved. That was something he could do.

"I can find it," he said confidently.

Zhu Liang's eyes went wide and he fumbled to draw a knife from within his robes, but an ice spike knocked it out of his hand and by then Jomei was upon him. Just as Siensao had told him, he punched the man in the gut to stagger him, and while he was gasping for breath, he gagged him with a strip of cloth. That was important. A man could kill himself by biting off his tongue and drowning in blood if he had a strong will or a conditioned command to do so in the event of capture.

Siensao looked up towards Reki, raising an expectant eyebrow. The swordswoman shrugged.

"A lucky break. Your time will still come, you'll see. But apparently not today." She winced as if in pain and muttered something under her breath. Only Spike heard it. _Yes, I will, now shut up or I'll kill something._ The waterbender wisely said nothing about it.

* * *

The trip back to the Zhang Ai estate was without incident. The entire group, Xin included to guard against mishaps, was present, in one of the most secure rooms in the building, when Liang's gag came off, after the code phrase had been spoken. He stood passively, with the same empty eyes as that Joo Dee woman Jomei had seen tagging along behind Reki and Kei Dao.

"Who is the leader or leaders of the Black Lotus?" Siensao asked, trembling with anticipation of the answer. At last, all the doubts would be resolved. All her problems besides the big ones would go away. Everything would make sense.

"I don't know," he answered. Three words and her hopes were crushed. Despair flooded into the void they left.

"What do you mean, you don't know?!" she snarled.

His vacant gaze turned towards her.

"I know that I have a master. When I hear their voice, all my memories of what I've done for them will come back. That's all I know."

"Well," Xin said, sounding reluctantly impressed. "Smiley outdid himself on this job. This is as good as anything I can do. It allows deep memory blocks, where the subject can be commanded to forget something and only recall it with a certain trigger. Even knowing the code phrase as we do won't get past that. It'll take some difficult and intricate work to get past these kinds of blocks and I just don't have the time in my day to work past them and still keep his mind intact. I could certainly brute force my way through and leave him a fool or comatose for life, but to do it properly will take someone who knows what they're doing working for a full day at least per session and I can't spare that kind of time. I'm sorry."

"So we did all this for nothing, that's what you're saying," Jomei bit out angrily. "Well thanks for so perfectly summarizing just how screwed we are, I'm sure we all appreciate that."

"Nice one," Reki said, chuckling, and the miner hung his head.

"Sorry, Xin, just that…I'm sick of fighting these slippery bastards instead of the Fire Nation."

"I understand," the Dai Li assured him. He looked towards Siensao, who seemed lost in thought. "Are you all right?"

"Brute force, you say," she muttered bitterly, without really thinking. In hindsight, she should have.

Spike broke her silence in spectacular fashion.

"You can't be serious!" the waterbender blurted out, pointing at Siensao accusingly. "He's one of us and you're thinking of killing him to get to these people you claim are threats to us when all they've done is light some fires! Why are we fighting them?! What do they matter?! How much of this is just in your head?! Maybe you're just making up enemies! But you seem to be fine with having who's the enemy and who's not change whenever you feel like it!"

"Spike-" Siensao tried to say.

"NO!" the waterbender snarled, conjuring up an ice spike, "Why should I listen to you?! I've done everything you've asked of me and all it's gotten us is deeper into danger!" She pointed at Reki and Kei Dao. "She admitted she's going to try and kill you someday, she's insane and she can't be trusted or relied upon, but you do! He's drooling over her and you know he's prone to betraying clients he doesn't like and you still trust him with your plans!" Her wild eyes moved to Xin. "You told us never to trust the Dai Li and here you are doing that, too! He's probably just waiting for the right moment to sell us out! What's the point of it all, how does this help us fight the Fire Nation, _why should I listen to anything you have to say anymore?!_"

At last coming to a halt, her breathing fast and shallow, she saw everyone else staring at her and slowly backed up until she hit the wall behind her, eyes darting in the direction of the door.

"Spike-" Kyuzo tried to put in.

"Stay away from me!" she warned him, drawing the ice spike back to throw. "I want my answer!"

"Because General Xing told you to trust me," the merchant said, falling back on the strongest defense she knew of.

"Then…then…then…then maybe he was wrong!" Spike finally said, shivering with fear at the words that had to be forced out. "I don't see anything worth trusting in you! That's not an answer, that's an excuse! Are you going to have me 'conditioned' now?! Is that your answer to everything?! You were trying to get me to agree to it earlier!"

"Nerrivek," Siensao said firmly, "I'm working against the Black Lotus because we're here in Ba Sing Se for a little while longer and we might as well deal with them because if we don't, they'll keep trying to hinder me and any work I do to help the Earth Kingdom. I may have said something in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have and I'm sorry for that. I know how you feel and DON'T…" Spike had opened her mouth to interrupt and the merchant stopped her with a shout and upraised hand, then continued. "…don't tell me I can't possibly know that, because I do." Her voice became sad and her head lowered slightly. She suddenly looked very tired, exhausted before her time. "I do. You think you're alone and you're scared and wondering if you can trust anyone. You just want everything back the way it used to be, when things made sense, and if you can't get that, you don't know what you'll do, but it won't be pretty."

"It won't," Spike muttered.

"And you're so terrified of being thought weak that you won't admit it to anyone, because the people you're working with, they can smell fear and if you show weakness, they'll rip you apart or worse, make use of you in some way. You're wondering about acting on your own initiative and trying to make it look like an accident. You're wondering about just killing yourself or how many people you could bring down with you. You're wondering if you could run, who would take you in, how far would you have to go, would it all end with you on some forsaken mountain hiding away from a world you can't live in but can't live without? Would you die just as alone as you feel right now?"

Spike was silent, staring at the merchant. Her hand that held the ice spike slowly drifted down. Siensao smiled wistfully.

"You see? I know. We aren't your friends in the resistance, I know. Sometimes the world just refuses to be simple, I _know_. But we either work together or fail. That's the simple truth of this situation. Now put the spike away, please."

Spike wavered, uncertain.

"If I do," she said at last, "the Blood Drinker has to go. She can't be trusted or worked with. Kyuzo was right and you didn't listen to him. But you'll listen to me now, right?"

Sienaso hesitated and Spike snapped her namesake back up to firing position and moved towards the door.

"I knew it!" she snapped. "You value that lunatic more than me!"

"Very true," Reki agreed, still very much relaxed.

"Spike, don't do this," Sienaso sighed. "You know you won't get away from us. Just calm down and we can talk."

"I'm done talking!" Spike answered, fumbling behind herself for the door handle. "I'm done taking orders from you! I'm done living like this! I'm going back where I belong!"

Reki went from leaning back to sprinting forward in the blink of an eye. Spike whirled towards her, water pouring out of her skins and flowing up into a shield in front of her. But she didn't get it up before Xin let fly with his stone gloves in the famous _Hand of Law_ form, catching Spike on both arms. With a swift, practiced motion, he brought them around behind her back and fused the gloves into stone cuffs, ignoring the waterbender's frenzied struggles and string of oaths as the beginnings of the shield collapsed back into a large puddle on the floor.

"Go ahead!" she spat at Siensao. "Do the only thing you know how to do! Kill me when I'm not useful anymore!"

"Xin, put her in one of the nice holding cells, if you would," Siensao said, not meeting the waterbender's eyes.

The Dai Li nodded and led his prisoner away, leaving a subdued gathering behind.

"Now what?" Jomei asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, hey," Siensao said, chuckling unpleasantly in a way that reminded him of Arvaikhir, "want to see me tempt fate?" She stood up and yelled at the ceiling, hands raised, "_Could this day get any worse?_ See, I said it ironically, so I think I'm safe."

At precisely that moment, there was a knock at the door. Opening it, Zoukani admitted a messenger who delivered a scroll to Siensao and withdrew at once.

"Well," she said lightheartedly, noting the seal. "From the office of the Grand Secretariat to the Zhang Ai Syndicate. Isn't that wonderful? Excuse me a minute, please."

Opening the door, she went across the hall to another cell, entered, and closed the door behind her. The cells were meant to be soundproof so any screaming wouldn't carry too far. Reki promptly went over, knelt down, and put her ear to the keyhole. At once, she clapped her hand over her mouth to smother her laughter.

"Jomei!" she hissed. "Get over here and listen to this!"

Against his better judgment, the miner did so and immediately flinched as Siensao's enraged voice blasted his ears.

"-_**GODSDAMNED FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT EVER TO PISS OFF THE SPIRITS BY EXISTING! DEATH IS TOO GOOD FOR HIM! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM, I'M GOING TO FUCKING-**__"_

Jomei pulled his head away before he heard what exactly she had in mind for the Black Lotus leader. He really didn't want to know. Reki snickered.

"Guess I'll work for her a little while longer. Anyone who can swear like that can't be all bad."

After a long few moments, Siensao emerged, rather red in the face and with her braid starting to come undone, but much calmer.

"Thanks for waiting. Now, let's see what Long Feng has to say to us." She opened the scroll and read swiftly. Quite abruptly, her expression turned shocked, then intrigued, and at last she began to smile again.

"Tomorrow, the Avatar will enter Ba Sing Se."

"The Avatar's coming here?!" Jomei asked, his hands curling into fists. "Any chance of meeting him to give him some payback for leaving us to die for a hundred years?"

"Pft. Avatars are no fun. I couldn't beat him in a fight and from what I've heard, he's a stupid little boy who refuses to kill anyone," Reki scoffed.

"Fine, I'll give him another punch for you, then," the miner snapped sarcastically.

"You're sweet," Reki purred, smiling at him.

"I'd rather not talk to him," Kyuzo said, looking down at his feet. "I just don't think it'd go well."

"None of us will be talking to him or his friends," Siensao said, rolling up the scroll again. "By the order of the Grand Secretariat, the silence regarding the war is to be preserved. He doesn't know about it and if the syndicates would like to continue operating, he isn't going to know about it from us or anyone we know. If any known operative of the syndicate approaches him or is seen speaking with him—he's being watched at all times, as are his friends—the response will be swift, merciless, and thorough."

"Then I'm afraid our partnership has come to an end," Xin said calmly as he stepped back in, having dropped off Spike and returned. "I know you'll be planning to disobey those orders somehow."

"Why would I do that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's as Reki said for once, he's too naïve and idealistic for me to work with. I'll grant you that he has immense power, but so long as he refuses to use it properly, I've no interest in trying to talk with him. I doubt I can change his mind about something that defined the Air Nomads in a couple weeks. I've never been counting on him for victory. If he starts wiping out armies as a regular thing, maybe I'll change my mind, but after the Siege of the North, he more or less vanished, so, no, I have no plans to contact him."

"You want to contact him because he's the one person who could convince the Earth King there's a conspiracy," Xin countered coldly. "And I know that's been one of your goals since you began work with this syndicate. I'm sorry, but I still can't continue to work with you. Nothing personal. It's just business."

She shrugged, still smiling.

"You have to do what you have to do, Xin, I understand that. But I think I'll tempt fate once again." She looked up once more. "Could this day get any better?"

**Omake**

Siensao: Just one of those days, you know? Everything blows up in your face, but then at the end of it, you discover that the explosions actually removed a fatal skin disease or…okay, I've lost the analogy.

Kyuzo: You're lucky that's all you lost. I lost half my hearing with things exploding nearby. I mean, just because I like it doesn't mean it isn't dangerous. Like most of the women in my life. That's probably why I wound up with Jura, she's the only one who doesn't scare me. No offense Reki, Spike, Siensao.

Reki: Well, I meant to scare you, so I'm not sure if that counts.

Spike: Ask me if I care.

Kei Dao: Do you care?

Spike: No!

Jomei: *talking to his hammer wearily* No, Grandad, I don't want to find some nice southern girl. Yes, I know she has issues. I-No! Why would you think that?! Get your mind out of the gutter! No, I am not playing for the other team, I just happen to prefer treating people with respect who've earned it. *glances over to Reki* Well, this isn't…normal.

Reki: *singing a duet, with one arm thrown over Fangirl's shoulders* _I can't decide whether you should live or die! Oh you'll probably go to heaven. Please don't hang your head and cry! No wonder why my heart feels dead inside. It's cold and hard and petrified! Lock your doors and close the blinds, we're going for a ride!_

Siensao: *facepalm* Where's Karida when you actually need her for once?

Karida: *relaxing on a beach somewhere* I'm traveling at the speed of plot. I'll get there when I get there, just be patient. *looks over* So what are you here for?

Yukari: Being too good at my job, apparently. I'm not allowed to get there until a few things are cleared up.

Karida: That's rough.


	33. Maze of Blades

**A/N:** The second of this week's uploads. Thanks again to Sylacvoer and enjoy the show.

* * *

"And that's how I won a week's pay with a wheelbarrow," Kyuzo concluded, chuckling at the memory. He was met with cold silence and a steady stare from icy blue eyes. He sighed.

"Well, I guess you had to be there. What about you, you have any good stories? I don't want to go on for too long about just myself."

"No," Spike said. She was sitting on the other side of iron bars in one of the Zhang Ai estate's nicer cells. The firebender knew how that felt, so he took it upon himself to come down and talk to her at some point every day. Well, more like talking _at_ her for all the good it was doing, but it made him feel a little less guilty about his part in the whole mess. He was the one who had asked for her and not someone else to join them, after all.

"Well, tell me about your friends, then, what are they like?"

"Quiet."

Kyuzo sighed. _I was asking for that one._

"Well, if you don't mind staying indoors, I could ask Siensao to let you practice waterbending. I couldn't practice firebending when I was in jail and I hated it."

Spike spit into her hand, then demonstrated her command of her element remained intact by turning it to ice and flicking it at his forehead.

"If you can just make your own water, what stops you from breaking out?" he asked.

"Siensao," she said.

"Are you just going to speak in one-word sentences for the rest of your life?"

"Maybe."

"Look, I get that you're feeling kind of betrayed, and honestly, I kind of agree with you: we should have killed the Blood Drinker long ago. But Siensao thinks we can beat her, and if we can, that would be a lot better, and she hasn't led us wrong yet. We're all still alive and more or less accomplishing what we set out to do. That's something, right? It isn't that she values you less. She…_we_ still need you. We need every one of our comrades, or we're dead. The Reki we have now, she just might be more than Siensao can handle and still keep everyone else intact. So she resorts to…unconventional methods." _To keep you safe_, he added. The logic was tortuous even in his mind. Spike would either laugh in his face or shut him out completely, so he kept it to himself."

"You're Fire Nation," Spike said. "I've seen you argue with her before about right and wrong. Why defend her like this?"

Kyuzo silently rejoiced. _Finally, she's talking to me! Only took a week._

"We don't agree on everything…actually we disagree on a lot of things, come to think of it, but we agree that the Fire Nation has to be stopped, and she hasn't given me any reason to believe that she isn't doing all she can to do that. We're on this journey to bring the White Lotus into the war. That would give the Earth Kingdom a chance to turn the tide. It might save Shaokai while we're at it."

"How many soldiers and benders will the Order contribute?" Spike asked calmly. "How long will it take them to gather from the four corners of the world? After their initial strike, how much damage can they do before the Fire Nation assembles forces to turn them into ash? How many of them have fought battles before and will be any good in a real fight? How many of them are Fire Nation and will refuse to come or contribute? How many of them are old and unable to stand a campaign for long? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand? Fifty thousand? Anything less than an army won't be enough and you know it. The Order is not an army. If she wants to help, she should be taking the syndicate to war, not a battalion of elders and craftsmen. She betrays Xing, me, and the Earth Kingdom with this stupid quest and we'll all suffer for it."

A slow, sarcastic clap rang out behind him and Kyuzo turned to see Reki stroll in the door. Spike immediately backed off from the bars a few paces, glaring daggers at her.

"I couldn't have put it better myself," Reki said. "I can tell you how many warriors and benders the Si Wong tribes can give you, though. About, oh, say, an army's worth. And with our position in the central Earth Kingdom, we could hit the Fire Nation in the south and wipe them out, then turn and fall on the armies coming at Ba Sing Se from behind and catch them in a pincer. They've stayed out of the war because there's nothing worth conquering in the desert for the Fire Nation. Idiots. There's still pride enough in the Fire Nation to turn the sands into glass and claim victory over our blackened bones when they're finished with the rest of the world. And who could unite and lead the tribes to war? Why, _me_, of course."

"You aren't trustworthy," Spike said, crossing her arms. "I don't care if you bring a dozen armies into the war, you aren't reliable. We can't win unless we can trust our allies."

Reki chuckled.

"Kyuzo, be a good boy and go play with spark-sticks or something. It's time for some quality girl talk here."

"I'm not leaving you alone with her," Kyuzo said indignantly, though a shiver of fear ran through his voice. She turned on him, raising an eyebrow.

"I appreciate you wanting to show that you've got a pair, but suicide isn't the answer. Pick your battles better."

"I'm picking this one," he said, doing his best not to faint as she approached a step or two, one hand on her sword hilt.

"Go," Spike said, "if you want to live."

"Better listen to her," Reki advised, grinning.

"You can't threaten everyone forever," Kyuzo snapped.

"Okay, guess I'll be leaving Siensao today instead of later," Reki said with a shrug, and drew her sword, sending Kyuzo scrambling back out of the door as she advanced with a purpose. As soon as he was out, she stopped, still smirking.

"I don't make threats. A threat is something you won't actually carry out. I know perfectly well you'd never try and force me to do something and you know that I'll kill you whenever I feel like it. So when I tell you to get out of here, or I'll kill you, that isn't a threat, that's a promise. You see how that works? Remember that whenever you start thinking you're hot stuff." She paused a moment. "You're not gone yet," she said sweetly, and Kyuzo, hating himself every step of the way, turned and walked away.

The swordswoman chuckled, turning back to Spike and sheathing her sword.

"Oh, he's always good for a laugh, isn't he? If you weren't such a depressing dry river bed of a girl, I bet you'd be howling right now."

Spike said nothing.

"Shall I go and kill him after all because you won't talk to me?" Reki asked cheerfully. "Maybe Jomei, too, while I'm at it? And then head back to Jukana, find out which company you were in, and kill all of them? Remember, I don't make threats."

"I have nothing to say to you that you haven't already heard," Spike growled.

"You're wrong there. You want out of Ba Sing Se, so do I. Well, the two of us can help each other with that. You're free to go wherever you like after we get out, but two is better than one for a jailbreak. You haven't said no to that."

"No," Spike said after a miniscule hesitation, but she knew Reki had caught it, because her smile widened and she shook her head.

"It's the only way you'll ever escape Siensao now, after your entirely justified little outburst. Knowing, as you do, that she'll never really trust you again, the only way you'll leave this cell alive and with your mind intact is with me. Just think about it. But don't think too long, my time here is coming to an end very shortly, one way or another."

She turned and sauntered out, leaving behind one waterbender with two options, both horrible, and no way out. She did so enjoy the sadistic choice. It said a lot about a person when they made them and was fun besides.

Kei Dao surprised her, though, when she made the offer to him shortly afterwards.

"I'm flattered, Reki, really I am," he said, "but I tend to limit my torturing to when I'm getting paid for it. I know Ba Sing Se quite well, which not many other assassins of my caliber can say; I'd rather not have to start learning a new location from the ground up. I might be a little theatrical now and then, but I'm a professional and there's too little reward and too much effort involved in running off with you to the desert, which I would have to do if I helped you. Siensao would be after me for sure. It's not you, it's me. I hope you understand."

"Of course, of course," Reki assured him. "No hard feelings. If and when I have to kill you, I'll try not to make it last too long. No promises, though."

* * *

Jomei faced the Blood Drinker across the earthbending practice room, hammer at the ready. Thirty paces was all that separated him from her sword's edge. He had as long as it took her to cross that distance to save himself. She waited, sword raised.

He raised a low stone wall, ankle high and as she came sprinting forwards, cracked it free of the floor with a slicing motion and then sent it spinning towards her with a punch. She met it about halfway to him and jumped slightly to avoid it, ahead and to her left. As her feet left the ground, Jomei slammed one foot down and a small stone column burst upwards at a sharp angle, aiming to hit her in midair. It was a disabling, if not killing blow with the force he put into it, but he'd learned not to hold back against her. She twisted sideways, arching her back so the column just missed her, then caught the top of it and used it as leverage to put her momentum into a spin that set her back on course for him.

He had only time to bring his hammer down right in front of himself and send a wave of shattering stone rushing outwards, all jagged, flensing edges and head-sized rocks with crushing force, in the most devastating close-range defense he knew. But he knew even as he did it, he'd acted too soon. It was the strike's sharp upwards angle that gave it stopping power and she dove and rolled to her right to avoid it as the stones fell short. Now she was almost right next to him and he had no time to bend again. He raised his hammer, trying to judge just the right moment. Her sword came flashing in like a silver serpent and he brought the weapon down as hard as he could in a diagonal high-to-low arc, hoping to catch her as she dodged.

Instead, she jumped again, a high jump that took her right past his left shoulder. On the way, she smacked that shoulder with the flat of her sword blade. _Dead._ Turning around, Jomei lowered his weapon, resting the head on the ground. Reki sheathed her sword and turned to face him, grinning.

"Not bad," she said. "Here's where you went wrong. You made the wall too low and I could have just stepped over it as it spun by with how slow it was going and had a lot more leeway to dodge the column. That column was too small, you need to find the right balance between size and speed. If it had been just a little bigger, I wouldn't have been able to dodge it. And you struck too soon with the second-to-last attack, but you already knew that, right?"

"Yeah," Jomei said, nodding.

"Well, at this point, I'd say you have an excellent chance of killing _one_ veteran warrior by yourself, on an absolutely barren and open battlefield made out of stone," she declared. "If that situation ever comes up, let me know, I would be very surprised."

"You and me both," the miner agreed. He steeled himself for what he had to say next, now that there was a break in the lesson. "Kyuzo tells me you're planning on leaving soon with Spike, or that's what she told him, anyhow."

"Well, soon enough, I haven't made up my mind as to the exact time," Reki said diffidently. "It's just too _boring_ in this city, days and weeks go by without a good fight or even a chance to kill someone. Siensao's company only makes up for so much. Actually, I was going to make the same offer to you that I did to the waterbender. Well, not completely the same." She grinned, stepping closer. "You do, after all, appreciate me much more than she does, on a few different levels. But what do you say, you want to ditch Siensao and get to some real fighting? You, me, and the desert tribes against everything the Fire Nation can throw at us. Sound fun?"

Jomei hesitated. His instinct was to say no, but something about Reki told him that would be a bad idea. It might even mean _disappointing_ her for the third and final time, which was to be avoided at all costs. And really…the idea sounded much more straightforward than getting the Order to fight, like something he could really help with. Reki waited for his answer with unusual patience and finally, he spoke carefully.

"You're one of the scariest people I've ever met," he said, "and you can beat just about anyone in a fight, but you were exiled and the tribes hate you. Do you really expect me to believe you can just walk back in and take all of them over like nothing happened?"

Reki snickered.

"Since you know so much about me, you can probably guess that the only reason I was exiled is because _she_ didn't resist when they did it. And for that same reason, all I need is to get my old gang back together and yes, I can just walk back in and take over the desert like nothing happened. Because they're all as _afraid _of me as you are. But there's no need to take my word for it. I'm happy you've taken my advice to heart. Actions, not words. Watch what happens in the days ahead and judge for yourself."

Jomei left the practice room with a heavy heart, knowing that Reki probably had a bloody demonstration of power in mind. At least Siensao knew it was coming. _You there, Grandad? Destiny have anything to say about this?_ The answer was surprisingly firm. _I'm trying not to think about destiny. It makes my head hurt. How that works for spirits, I have no idea. Ah…I'm beginning to think I might owe you an apology._

_Oh, you might?_ Jomei snapped back. _That's the least you could do for threatening demonic possession and carving bloody characters on the back of my hand!_ He could hear the shrug in Hanhei's voice.

_Well, it seemed really important at the time. Don't act like you've never had stupid ideas. Anyway, I agree that the desert warriors would be a better option than the White Lotus, and if anyone could do it, she could. But she's too dangerous and unpredictable. No, we need to stop her. And I'll bet Siensao has already figured out the same solution that I have. I fought the desert tribes a few times when they tried to raid my battalion on the march. They've got a pretty glaring weakness, aside from the sand thing._

_And that is?_ Jomei asked. Hanhei snorted.

_Figure it out yourself. I'm done coddling you. But she has a weakness and if I can see it, I'm sure you can._

* * *

Kyuzo stared gloomily at the wavering flame cupped in his palm. _Funny, I thought firebending scrolls were supposed to make me better at it. This new focusing technique just isn't working out._

"You're sure these are authentic?" he asked Zhu Liang, who was busying himself in writing furiously. The archivist expected he didn't have long to live and wanted to get down whatever he'd learned so the Order could replace him afterwards.

"Positive," Liang answered, sparing a glance at the scroll in question. "That scroll is a copy, but the original is two hundred years old and dates from the reign of Fire Lord Kazuo, the second in a series written by the Fire Sage Takahiko. Borrow Siensao's copy of _Collected Wisdom of the Firebending Art_, it draws on a lot of what that scroll says. I thought you'd prefer starting from the beginning."

"Well, I do, but I mean, it just isn't working. Here, listen to this: _While true power in firebending, like all bending disciplines, only comes with understanding and the wisdom it brings, _and so on, _even an ordinary practitioner's power depends to a large extent on his state of mind, more so than most other elements. All people are different and thus all sources of firebending power are different. One firebender might use anger and hatred of his opponent, another might use the thrill and excitement that firebending brings him, a third still might use his resolve to accomplish some greater goal in life._ That's all nice, but it's kind of missing, you know, specifics? As in, how to go about turning that kind of 'mental state' into fire blasts. With the way I was taught, it's easy. You get angry, you let it loose, you get plenty of fire. Well, I've got a greater goal in life, so I think about stopping the Fire Nation and saving the world, what that would be like—which I almost believe I can live with these days—and I get this." He indicated the flickering flame that he held, barely bigger than a torch.

Zhu Liang set down his brush and thought a moment.

"If we follow the logic of the scroll," he said at length, "then it would seem you find little power or resolve in that goal. Is it really what you want to happen, or is it incidental to your real goal?"

"It's what needs to happen," Kyuzo said, "And it's what I'll do my best to help make happen. I'm willing to do what it takes."

"Ah, there, you see? You're resigned to it. You accept it as a necessity and are bracing yourself for severe opposition. This is different from _wanting_ it so badly you can hardly think of anything else and not caring about what lies in your way. I don't blame you for that. I wouldn't be enthusiastic at the prospect of killing my own countrymen. So as far as firebending goes, you need something else to focus on in the middle of battle. Remember why you fight."

Kyuzo was about to reply, but someone interrupted and his little flame went out as he recognized them.

"Now that's something I'd like to hear. Why _do_ you fight, Kyuzo?" Reki asked, walking in with a swagger in her step. "If the answer is because you have no other choice, you don't belong on a battlefield. If the answer is 'love', (and I can't way to see Jomei's reaction to the lovely lady in question, by the way), I imagine you'd have a hard time thinking about that in the middle of a fight. In war, the only right way to power firebending is either fury at the enemy or a passion for glory and the thrill of the fight. Your instructors were right about that. Why do you fight, then?"

"Leave," Zhu Liang told Reki. "Now, please."

She turned a glare on him and was mildly surprised when he withstood its force without visible effect.

"I'm not afraid of you," he said, shrugging, "and you may as well understand that now as any other time."

She smiled.

"Great! So now you know what it's like not to have to care about anything anymore! Dying, getting hurt, getting sick, none of it matters! Don't you just love it?"

"No," he said. "I'd much rather have the luxury of worrying about such things. But it is quite calming." He took out his feather fan and put it to use in what Kyuzo now recognized as something of a nervous habit.

She shrugged.

"Well, I'd try and appreciate what you've got while it lasts. It'll end in the next minute if you try and order me around again. Kyuzo, I'm still waiting for my answer and I don't like being kept waiting."

"Well, now that I think back to it…in Jingzao, my firebending was actually fairly powerful for what I'm used to, but only when I was actually fighting. I guess I'm fighting to stay alive, really. That's it. So long as I can depend on that, I don't think that in practice a lot of power is necessary."

"But if you're strong in practice when nothing is on the line, imagine how terrifying you could be in a real fight," Reki urged, stepping closer. "Why not go back to fury, it was working so much better and I could teach you how to get very, very angry. Or how to really _enjoy_ a fight. You want to master your art, every bender does. You want to get back to…wherever it is you're going. Who better than me to help with both? There's nothing holding you to Siensao, beyond a few words and some code of honor that you left behind with your nation. Do you think someone like her would really care if you left? Why not come with me, learn how to fight, and I'll even get you anywhere on the borders of the desert as a kick-off to where you're going. My company might not be as pleasant as hers but you know what you're getting and for how long and for what reason. So…what do you say?"

Kyuzo swallowed hard.

"No, thank you."

"Why not?!" she demanded, looking petulant. "Give me a reason!"

"I'd rather not say…" he mumbled, backing up only to find a wall behind him and Reki advanced just as fast, with Zhu Liang looking away, his head bowed as he hoped against hope that there wouldn't be blood spilled in the next moment.

"Does it look like I care?! Answer the question or your reasons won't matter anymore!"

"Well," the firebender said, his voice becoming a little high with fear, "I've got someone waiting for me, someone whose opinion I value very highly, and I don't think they would be welcoming if they heard I'd been accepting what you do as a general thing. Kind of like your brother was to you, you know?"

"I _hated_ my brother more than any other person in the world!" Reki growled, slowly drawing her sword with a menacing scrape of metal on leather. "How is that relevant?!"

"No, that's just it!" Kyuzo hastened to explain. "I know you hated him, but you had to love him a _lot_ in the first place to hate him so much." Reki stopped dead and he went on, a little calmer. "I have a lot of relatives, some of them I just kind of grew apart from, and when I met them again, we didn't get along. So I understand, it really hurts more than just about anything when that kind of person suddenly seems to change. And you never really stop wanting things to go back to the way they used to be. So that's why I say that. I don't want that to happen to this person waiting for me. I've done a lot of bad things, but I've got to draw the line somewhere, and well, you've really been pretty up front about the kind of person you are, so going with you and just being okay with all the things you do…that's where the line is."

Reki eased her sword back into the sheath as slowly as she'd drawn it, her face unreadable, saying nothing. Kyuzo didn't dare move. At last, she spoke, sounding more like the old Reki than any time since she'd changed.

"You are occasionally more perceptive than you look," she said. "I will not kill you today." She turned and walked away. Kyuzo let out a long, relieved sigh and slumped down to the ground, shivering uncontrollably at his narrow escape.

* * *

Jomei was living every miner's greatest fear: to be completely enclosed by the earth. Stone surrounded him, pressing in against his body with its cold, hard grip, making him all the more aware of his own breath and the tiny amount of air remaining to him. But he had something most miners didn't. He could force the earth to _bend_. Jomei burrowed through the rock blindly, trusting to his internal compass to keep him headed the right way, leaving a tiny tunnel packed with loose rubble behind him as he carved a path ahead. At last, he turned, heading upwards, and with a final rending of stone, burst out into comparatively open air again, landing on his feet, hammer at the ready.

Xin was waiting for him.

"Five seconds," he said. One stamp of the agent's foot and the rubble packed into the tunnel dissolved into sand. Another stamp and it fused into hard stone again, undoing all of the miner's damage. Earthbenders always had to be careful about making at least some effort to repair where they practiced or they would have turned the entire Earth Kingdom to dust or bare stone by now. "That's a half-second better from the last time," Xin continued.

"Still not good enough for covering thirty feet," Jomei replied. At least this time he'd gone deep enough so as not to leave an obvious trail like a mole-rat.

"It takes practice to develop the proper motions," Xin reminded him. He seemed to enjoy reminding the miner of many things. This was the fourth time Jomei had heard this particular nugget of wisdom and far from the last, he was sure. "Your instinct is to move like you're swimming, but that's wrong. You punch one arm ahead to break the stone, the other arm shoves it aside just enough for you to pass, one leg pushes to shove you through, as you do so, the arms draw back and the cycle repeats. A master can move faster than an ordinary soldier at a dead run. However, your sense of direction and relative position at all times is quite good, which is usually more difficult than the motions. Simply put, you know where you're going to emerge from underground at. Think it over and let's practice the _Badger-mole's Passage_ form again. You need more practice compacting stone as well."

Jomei could now compact sand into stone with no more trouble than moving a boulder, but crushing stone into smaller and denser forms remained exhausting work and at some point, it just became impossible to crush it down any further. He remained skeptical of the old tales that a master earthbender could literally eat coal and shit diamonds, though.

"Before we begin, though," Xin said, "I think it's time we talked about the nature of earthbending power."

"What do you mean?" Jomei asked, taking advantage of the break to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Have you noticed that in your time walking the path, your progress almost always starts off at a good pace, then slows to almost nothing at a certain point when learning each form?"

Jomei's eyebrows went up.

"Actually, yeah, I have. I always figured it's just how hard you work at something and the more I was trying to do, the harder I'd have to work to get it. That isn't it?"

"Not exactly, no." Xin tucked his arms behind his back, as he often did when lecturing.

"Hard work and using your bending to its limit does build strength, yes, but very slowly. When someone has bending talent, people often make the mistake of believing that their power and potential is simply much greater than normal with no real explanation, much like a genius for woodworking or baking. But in all three cases, the talent is not that they possess some mysterious knowledge of power, it is that they _understand_ the _nature_ of their art better than others. A talented woodworker can look at a piece of wood and at once understand what projects it might be used for, a talented baker can change or add elements to a recipe based on their understanding of how all the ingredients work together to produce an end result, and a talented earthbender understands the nature of the earth and this grants them vast power over it."

"So, what, I should start sitting cross-legged and try to figure out how to turn into a puff of wind or something?" Jomei asked skeptically. "I'm not the most spiritual kind of person."

_Oh, really?_ Hanhei whispered.

_Shut up, Grandad, you don't count. I didn't ask for you._

Xin frowned.

"That's too bad," he said, "because all styles of bending are very spiritual arts as well as demanding disciplines and to master them requires both wisdom and training. There's little that can be done to make things go faster unless you're naturally wise already. The average age for an earthbending master is about thirty-five, assuming they're more casual practitioners. Soldiers and other earthbenders who practice regularly might become a master at thirty. I've even heard of those who were raised by some of the temple guardians, the kind of people who spend almost all their time doing nothing but learning wisdom and practicing, achieving mastery at twenty-five. When I say mastery, you understand, I refer to both earthbending power, which is what wisdom grants you, and skill at combat and using it, which is what practice gives you. So long as you refuse to acknowledge either half's importance, you'll always be limited in your bending. So let me ask you, are you really not a very spiritual person?"

Jomei sighed.

"I guess I'd better start trying to be. How do you go about this…learning wisdom of the earth thing?"

"Well, you don't need to sit cross-legged if it isn't comfortable for you," Xin said, the hint of a smile showing.

"Well, that's something. Say, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"Reki. We've got to deal with her. I have a few ideas, but I was wondering if you had any. How do you take someone alive with her reflexes and who's willing to kill herself at the first sign of us trying to take her alive?"

"I've dealt with criminals who had a death wish," Xin said thoughtfully, "but none like her. She's absolutely fearless. So long as at least one of you is with her as a hostage, she'll follow you into any fight, even a hopeless one. So what's something that one of you could deal with but she couldn't?"

Jomei shrugged.

"I've got no idea. I can handle being underground better for a long time and she's got no sense of direction for cities, much less tunnels. I was thinking I'd lead her into this maze and strand her there until she had to fall asleep, but if I was too slow getting away she'd kill me and she'd probably kill herself before she fell asleep just to spite us. So I don't think it's me. She's not as good at dealing with people like a reasonable person as Siensao, but somehow I don't think that's the way to go about this. I don't think Kyuzo's better at anything than her except firebending and the same with Spike for water…bending…_that's it!_"

Xin did smile now, a thin little smirk.

"Took you long enough. Now let's get back to work. I'll show you the basics of meditation on the earth."

* * *

Reki was drinking alone in the closest thing to a dive she could find in the Middle Ring near the Zhang Ai estate when someone interesting approached. She sat with her back to the wall and watched him, sizing him up. A native of the far eastern Earth Kingdom, his dark skin and green eyes said as much, as did his clothes. He wore a _khanda_, the straight, heavy cleaving sword of the east, almost blunt at the tip, with a killing spike on the pommel, and his stride, stance, and attitude named him warrior.

"Blood Drinker," he said, bowing his head without taking his eyes off her. "I have a message for you."

"Well, don't just stand there, sit down and tell me," she invited him, pointedly loosening her sword in the scabbard. "Hands where I can see them, too. I was wondering when you'd show up."

"You knew I was coming?" he asked, sitting down.

"Well, not you specifically, but with Zhu Liang snugged away in Siensao's place, it was only a matter of time before you got desperate enough to make me an offer, Black Lotus. So, what is it?" She chuckled. "No, wait, I can guess. You'll hide me from Siensao, hand over some gold maybe, and spirit me out of the city so I can get back to ruling the desert. I can come up with that myself, see? The real question is how are you planning to screw me over in the deal and how are you going to disguise them as me and you having ways to trust each other? What are the conditions?"

He glowered at her.

"I'd like to make it clear that dealing with you wasn't my idea. I bring justice to people like you for a living."

"You mean you're a bounty hunter who kills people for money," she corrected him, leaning forward and resting her chin on one hand, smirking at him. "Thanks for clearing that up, that makes this so much more enjoyable. Ever brought in some desert raiders, anyone I know? Why don't we compare notes and see who's killed who?"

"The conditions are these," he said, admitting defeat and moving on. "You bring Zhu Liang outside the Zhang Ai estate so we can clearly identify him, then kill him there. After that, we'll move in and get you out of there. After we've confirmed the head is his, we'll take you the rest of the way out of the city."

"So are you going to just toss me down an old mine shaft or go straight for the crushing somewhere in the tunnels?" Reki asked casually. "Because after I saw off Liang's head in broad daylight outside the syndicate headquarters, that's how you'd have to get me out of there, and I'll bet you've got an earthbender on your side still. You can get to the last resort offer anytime, neither of us are getting any younger and I'd actually like to get a little drinking done tonight. No, wait, I can figure that one out too."

She leaned back against the wall.

"I'll bring out Liang with a bag over his head so you don't know if it's him. You get me away. Once I'm safely above ground and out of the city, you get to see that it is him and I'll kill him for you and be on my way. See? I could have done this whole negotiation by myself. Am I right?"

The swordsman made a noise halfway between a growl and a sigh.

"Why do you bother asking when you know you are? No, don't tell me. It amuses you."

Reki laughed loudly, smacking her hand against the tabletop.

"You're a funny guy, aren't you? See, you understand where I'm coming from."

"I understand that your mind is damaged beyond repair and all you know how to do is kill, torment, dominate, and destroy," he said, sounding honestly regretful. "And for that, I'm sorry. But when this is over, I will bring you to justice or die in the attempt."

Reki snorted.

"Pah! Get in line, buddy. There's a waiting list a mile long. I think Karida ought to get another chance before you. I mean, you're actually sorry about having to kill me, at least she was nice enough to be in it for revenge. You weren't even going after me specifically, you just want to kill me now that you've got the chance on your boring, stupid way through life. I'm not going to die to someone like you."

"We don't get a choice in how we die," he said, standing up. "You should know that by now. You have three days to deliver Liang."

"I hope that works out for you," Reki said, "since I really don't know when I'll be leaving. Sometime this week, probably, but no specifics. If you want me to show, be on watch at all times."

He only nodded, unwilling to get drawn into another unwinnable argument, and left, walking fast. Reki leaned down as if fussing with her foot wrappings.

"You get all that?" she asked.

"Loud and clear," Kei Dao whispered back from under the floorboards. "How'd you know I was here?"

"It was the only place I didn't see you or Zoukani and I know Siensao's watching me. If I'd wanted privacy I'd have made a habit of walking unpredictably around the Middle Ring and they'd have passed me a note. Zoukani might have missed that. Now run along and tell her if she wants to catch the Black Lotus leaders sooner rather than later, I've got a deal for her."

* * *

"I expect you know why you're all here," Siensao said. Once again, their little group gathered around the conference table, though Spike's hands were cuffed behind her back and Reki was missing.

"We've got to deal with Reki," Jomei said, nodding. "So what's the plan?"

"I came up with one the day after the Blood Drinker made her appearance," Siensao said, "and it hasn't changed too much. It involves the one obvious weakness of anyone from the Si Wong. She can't swim and hates being near the water. So all we have to do is drop her and one of us into water and Spike, you freeze both of us in ice. We can thaw her out just enough to restrain her before she kills herself. Providing, of course, Spike, you're willing to cooperate. As you can see, I have never trusted this version of Reki, but I had to make it look as though I was outmatched by her, to stroke her ego so she wouldn't suddenly turn on us. Will you do this for me?"

"I'll do it," the waterbender said, "but nothing else unless you intend to actually fight the Fire Nation instead of scheme and plot in this city. I need to get back into the war."

"We'll discuss it afterwards," Siensao said. "No promises, but I'll hear what you have to say."

"Is there a way to keep this Reki with a conditioned command to obey you?" Kei Dao asked, smirking. "I like her better this way."

"Fuck you, assassin!" Jomei snapped, slamming his hands down on the table as he stood up. "I'm not going to take any more of your sick ideas!"

"You couldn't _handle_ my sick ideas," Kei Dao replied immediately. "That's why Siensao isn't letting me near Jiao Chu and Xiang Chai Fei."

"Jomei, sit down," Siensao said patiently. "Kei Dao, don't push your luck and no, we aren't going to do anything of the sort. I'd keep your distance for a few days, actually, since Reki will probably remember everything that went on while she's been…away."

Kei Dao turned rather pale and Jomei sat down again, grinning at the idea. Then he realized that he'd have to deal with having caused this mess in the first place and felt much, much worse.

"So, um, who's going to be the one to fall into water with her?" Kyuzo wanted to know.

"I am, of course," Siensao said. "I'm a good swimmer, but more importantly, Reki probably doesn't think I have the courage to risk my own life to end hers and this will only reinforce that idea. So long as nothing unexpected comes up, everything should go smoothly. In fact, I even heard about the perfect bait for the trap earlier today." She looked towards the door. "You can come in now."

The door swung open and the person who entered brought most of the group to their feet, going for weapons.

"You won't need those," Karida said. "This time, we're on the same side. I'm here to help."


	34. Shattering of Dreams

**A/N:** And the final upload for this fast-paced week is here. The regular update schedule has now resumed and hopefully in another week or so, we will continue the adventure. Thanks yet again to Sylvacoer and enjoy the show.

* * *

"It's going to be today, isn't it?" Reki said, smiling like a jackal scenting fresh meat.

Siensao shrugged.

"Who can say?"

The two of them were walking down the halls of the Zhang Ai estate towards Spike's cell. They had a sandbender to confront.

Reki snickered.

"I can say. And I say it's going to be today. If I were in your place, today's the day I'd make my move. There's just something about it, well, everything about it, that demands action be taken. It's…auspicious. I know how much you like complicated words."

"If today is auspicious for me, why aren't you concerned?" Siensao asked mildly, unlocking the door to the cell.

"Because that'll make it all the more satisfying when I win anyway," the swordswoman answered.

Spike was waiting for them, standing bolt upright, which still left her shorter than either of the other women. Siensao showed her the manacles she'd worn yesterday.

"Reki has requested that you be in sight and restrained at all times during our operation," she explained. "For some reason, she thinks you'll try to freeze her in ice."

The waterbender nodded silently, and, as Siensao opened up the bars, turned her back and presented her wrists without resistance.

"So, Spike, have you thought about what I said?" Reki asked casually.

"Yes."

"And what have you decided?" The swordswoman's voice was thick with anticipation.

As the cuffs clicked shut, Spike turned around and, working her jaw for a second, spit a bit of ice into Reki's face.

"I'd rather die than help turn you loose on the world again," she said matter-of-factly.

Reki laughed unpleasantly.

"You'll pay for that. Many people will pay for that. So many debts to settle, so little time, so much blood." She licked her lips. "And I'll be sure and tell them it was your fault."

Spike had enough sense to shiver at the promise.

Jomei was waiting in the earthbending practice room, finishing up some warm-up exercises.

"It's time," Siensao said.

"Right," he answered, swinging his hammer up and into its place on his back. "Let's get on with it."

"Had time to think about what I asked?" Reki murmured to him, leaning in close.

"Yeah," he said.

"And?"

He smiled, which surprised her.

"Now where's the fun or the sense in just telling you what I decided? Actions, not words. Watch what I do and judge for yourself."

She laughed loudly, slinging an arm around his shoulders and feeling him tense up, edging away slightly, his smile becoming strained.

"You're just too much, Jomei," she said, chuckling still. "I think that makes up for disappointing me once before. I really do hope you chose wisely, you'd be so nice to have around in the desert."

"Well, one way or another, we're heading there soon enough," he said. "So I guess we'll see about that, too."

Kyuzo was in the library, reading away. He stood up when he saw them coming.

"I'm ready," he said with a sigh. "And the answer is still no, Reki."

"Yes, yes, I figured it would be," she said, waving off his words. "You're a lost cause."

He brightened up.

"Thank you," he said, "I really appreciate hearing that from you."

* * *

The place of meeting was a secluded part of the Lower Ring tunnels, where an underground stream had flooded the tunnels and been left to rot by the city planners centuries ago. Jomei was kept busy raising sections of stone for them to walk on, but they were still shining wet and slick with moss and mud, and the footing was treacherous. The stagnant water filled the place with a truly awful stench and the only lighting came from the occasional glowcrystal torch that had survived the flood and those that the group carried with them, including the one secured to Jomei's fur cap, the same crystal that he'd carried with him from Teoro.

"I do like your choice of battleground," Reki muttered to Siensao. "It makes things challenging."

"It's just where she requested we meet," the merchant replied.

Reki rolled her eyes.

"Of course it is. She just happened to hear about the perfect place to put me at a disadvantage within a few days of arriving. Don't insult us both. I wonder how well Spike can swim with those chains?"

The waterbender, who was walking in front of Reki, answered, "Well enough."

"Quiet," Siensao said, "both of you. We're almost there."

"With as much racket as Jomei is making with all this bending, I hardly think it matters," Reki said, but she held her tongue after that.

They emerged in a high-ceilinged cavern, remnants of glowcrystals embedded in the stone overhead still shimmering, weak as starlight. On one wall, from another hallway to their left, a set of stairs vanished into the murky waters, heading down. How far down, no one could say. Karida was waiting at the top of those stairs, looking green in the face, probably from waiting for so long in the foul air and so close to the water. But now, she drew her sword and looked upon her tormentor at last. She swallowed hard. _This is who I came to see, who I sacrificed everything to stop. Looks like I'll get my wish._

"Blood Drinker," she said.

"Karida!" Reki shouted cheerfully, grinning insanely. "My favorite apprentice! I've missed you _so_."

"You have a strange way of showing it," the sandbender responded, rubbing just above her missing eye.

Reki shrugged.

"Well, I wasn't quite myself at the time, and besides, I kind of like the look, you have a sort of rakish thing going now. The important thing is you're back and I can get back to work on you. Honestly, you really are a disappointment, and now that you were stupid enough to lose that eye, it's going to take even _more_ work to bring you up to something resembling a challenge for me. Now put down that sword and get over here before I get upset. You remember, don't you? I do _baaad_ things when I'm upset."

Karida was visibly shaking as Reki's words stirred up memories she'd done her best to bury and forget, and she almost took a step forward before catching herself.

"You know I can't swim."

Reki sighed.

"Oh, fine, we'll meet halfway. Jomei, give us a path. Spike, stay where I can see you, don't think I didn't notice you trying to step back just now. And Siensao, you just come with me so you can see how I deal with my enemies."

Wordlessly, the miner bent a series of thick stone slabs out of the wall to form a narrow walkway just above the water, from their corridor over to Karida's. Spike, Reki, and Siensao walked along it one way while Karida approached from the other side. They halted about ten paces apart, with Spike halfway between the two parties.

Reki drew her sword slowly, watching Karida's face as the keen blade scraped free of the sheath and turned to point at her, savoring every twinge of fear. To her annoyance, she also saw more resolve than previously. More work to do.

"If you make this difficult, I'm going to have to hurt you," the swordswoman warned in an eerie sing-song voice.

"You always make things difficult," Karida replied. "Even your exile was your own fault. Why should I be any different?"

Reki chuckled.

"Good point. Speaking of that, actually, I don't suppose you could tell me the reason for it? My memory is a little fuzzy. It's what comes of having voices in your head, I guess." She tilted her head to the side, muttering, "_You're awfully quiet. What's the matter, no pithy remarks on dealing with her? Nothing at all? We'll see how long that lasts._"

Karida steeled herself. Before, she had refused to speak about the cause of the Blood Drinker's fall. Now she knew that Reki had asked because she could hardly bear to think about it. The Blood Drinker, on the other hand, remained in ignorance. And Karida would be glad to take that shield of ignorance away from her.

"All right," she said, "I'll tell you. I wasn't there, but I spoke with someone who was. The story is well known across the desert, though not spoken of to outsiders." She glanced significantly at the rest of the group. "But I think now's the right time to tell it."

She took a deep breath.

"It was after your elders declared you 'master of the sword' - the youngest in decades, no less. You had to celebrate it, the way you celebrated everything. The Jita tribe…perhaps they should have never broken peace with the Hami. Nevertheless, the blood ties remained - you must have heard your grandmother's spirit crying out during the slaughter! One of the Jita recognized you, spat the name 'kinslayer' as he died. Why did that death, that accusation, affect you as it did?"

"Oh, come on, killing my third cousin's nephew's whatever doesn't count," Reki muttered, her eyes narrowing. She winced, and hissed, "_Shut up, it doesn't!_ Just get to what happened."

"You were drinking more than usual, which is saying something," Karida went on. "You were always a happy drunk, but that night you were sullen, snapping and growling at anyone who approached you, like a toothsore jackal-dog. Everyone was terrified, but no one dared leave, lest you suddenly took it to your head to give chase. And then…" Karida paused, as if bracing herself. "Your brother, half-drunk from what anyone could describe, blundered in, and the pair of you started yelling, screaming at each other. You took out your sword, waved it at him…"

"I don't just wave my sword around," Reki objected. "Knives, sure, someone else's sword, maybe, but when I get this baby out, I mean business. It's always been that way." Another wince and a grimace to go with it. "_I said shut up! You're lying! Let her finish!_"

While Reki argued with herself, she didn't notice the slight shifting of Spike's arms as the waterbender's hands moved to rest on the secret release for her cuffs, or behind her, Kyuzo taking out a flashbang from one of his bandoliers and hiding it behind his back, or Jomei's feet shifting as he reached out to the earth, getting ready for a strike.

"He made some final insult," Karida said, growing more confident as Reki grew more upset, her shaking mostly gone, "no one really agrees as to what it was, and turned to leave. You stood there for a second and several people swear you started crying. Then you killed him."

Jomei, by now, was beyond being shocked with all the Blood Drinker had done. He only felt an awful wrench in his gut and the sour taste of a truth confirmed, though he wished it hadn't been. _So that's how it ended._

"Well now I know you're a liar," Reki scoffed. "I'd never do that. Come on, is there truth somewhere in this little tale or do I have to drag it out of you?"

"You stabbed him in the back, clean through the heart," Karida said. "That's how it really happened."

"Uh, how about, no, it fucking didn't!" Reki snarled, taking a step forward. "Yes, I hated his guts, but he's the person I'd never kill, everyone knows that, it's why they always used him as the messenger when there was bad news! Now quit stalling and tell me the truth. _And you, shut the fuck up! I know what this is about! You're trying to distract me! It's not going to work!_"

Karida smiled, which brought Reki's raving to a momentary halt as she stood, stunned at the sandbender's good spirits.

"Why should I lie? Anyone else you ask will tell you the same thing. You should listen to that voice in your head. Maybe it's your conscience?"

Karida wasn't the only one with buried memories; images flickered through Reki's head, do what she would to hold them back, along with that incessant, enraging voice, identical to her own.

_The entire tent was silent as the grave as the two siblings stood, glaring at each other. One of them muttered something quietly, drunkenly. But she understood._

_ "I wish you'd never been born. I have no sister."_

"No…"

_To her horror, she felt her eyes prickle with the first tears. Something deep down twisted, tore, and broke and before she knew what she was doing, her feet were moving and her sword thrust forward at the source of all the regret in her life._

"No, no, NO!"

_He died just like any other person. It was absurd, how easy it was. One stroke, one kill, a splash of blood on the tent floor, and he slumped down, sliding off her sword with a slick, nauseating sound. For a split second, she felt relief. Then she saw everyone staring and realized what she had done._

"IT WASN'T MY FAULT!" Reki howled, staggering on the spot, free hand pressed to her head. "GO AWAY, GO AWAY, GO AWAY!"

Everything happened at once. Spike pressed the hidden button and her cuffs clicked open, falling to the stone. Karida leapt backwards. Siensao made her move, grabbing Reki's sword arm in a tackling rush, aiming for the water. Jomei slammed his foot down and cracked the walkway under their feet off the wall. Even when struggling with a collapsing mind, though, Reki was just too fast. As the walkway fell, she broke Siensao's grip and _jumped_, landing in front of Karida and Spike. Siensao splashed into the water, raising more of the stench, and the waterbender drew a rippling shield up in front of her, freezing it in place and blocking Reki from both herself and Karida, who had already pulled sand from the surrounding stone, forming her armor.

Then everyone paused a moment.

"YOU FUCKERS THINK IT'S THAT EASY?!" Reki snarled, all semblance of cheerfulness long gone, exposing a bestial, primeval rage that stopped all of them in their tracks. "Congratulations, you've succeeded in PISSING ME OFF! Spike, drop this stupid wall and put your hands down or I'll kill you first on my way past! Kyuzo, drop that flashbang! Jomei, put the walkway back up! Zoukani, don't even think about throwing that spear! And as for you, you little bitch, if you don't tell me what really happened in the next five seconds, I'm going to get _nasty!_ I left enough space to carve you up again and you know I will!"

Karida's sword hand shook, dipping slightly as she fought the urge to obey, to throw herself at Reki's feet and beg for mercy that would never come. She tasted bile in the back of her throat and fought down the sickening roiling in her gut as more memories of blood-soaked nights returned to her. She smiled, pained but triumphant.

"You really were something to see after you killed him, too," the sandbender said.

"Four!"

Jomei, heart beating furiously as he lifted the section of the walkway back into place, Siensao grimly clinging to the edge, wondered if he dared lift up the walkway and slam both of them into the wall and if he could pin them fast enough. Spike was tense behind the icy barrier, waiting for the right moment to make use of it.

"That's when you got that notch in your ear. You gave it to yourself," Karida went on.

"Three!"

Zoukani squinted with one eye, aiming his spear, no doubt figuring an angle that would spare Siensao but not Reki when he threw it.

"And when they came for you, to give you the Death of the Empty Sands, you told them you deserved the Death of the Five Stakes instead. You were begging for them to kill you."

"Two! Rrrhgah! SHUT UP!"

_Without a change of expression, she took out a knife and brought it up to her ear. Pain blossomed and blood flowed and she started to cry at last for the first time in years._

As Reki grew ever angrier, Karida grew calmer, more collected. She felt at peace. This was where she belonged.

"Well, I'll make a deal with you. If you beat me, I'll tell you. That shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"HA! DONE!" Reki bellowed, and came at her screaming. Spike flung the shield—turned to a wave with a flick of her wrist—at her; Reki leapt high and to the side, pushing off the wall on her left just enough to clear the top of it, landing in front of Spike. The waterbender dove off the walkway to avoid Reki's sword, surfacing on a disk of ice, braced for her next strike. Karida, armor completed in the time Spike bought for her, hit the swordswoman with a quick blast of sand to blind her as she attacked.

Then the two women were embattled, blades flashing as steel rang on steel, too close for bombs or thrown weapons. Spike raised a rippling mass of water and sent it rushing towards the fight to freeze both of them. Reki shoved forward and, planting a hand on Karida's shoulder, launched herself upwards so that only her opponent was engulfed and Spike had to let the ice liquefy just as fast as it had formed to save Karida's life.

Jomei was next. He cracked off the section of walkway the two women were fighting on and tilted it up to slam into the wall. Reki grabbed hold of the edge and swung herself up and over in plenty of time, then jumped for the intact section to avoid another water blast from Spike. Jomei, urged on by Karida's curses, quickly righted the stone, and looked on helplessly as the battle continued.

Zoukani finally closed the gap and moved to support Karida, who fell back towards the rest of the group to let him take over, already weary from so many close shaves and knowing her missing eye put her solidly below Reki's level of skill if she hadn't been already. The old soldier grinned and met the Blood Drinker's screaming attack with a meticulous defense. He wasn't as fast, but his experience and the spear's longer reach kept him alive.

The wall beside them began dissolving into sand as Karida worked on it. Reki pushed again, and Zoukani, rather than let her push past him, steadily retreated, keeping himself between her and the rest of the group but letting her get out of the way of Karida's bending.

Kyuzo lit a smoke bomb and lobbed it at the fighters.

"Zoukani, down!" he yelled at the last possible second. He needn't have bothered. Reki swatted the explosive aside with her sword and it splashed harmlessly into the water. Spike, giving up on big water blasts, started flinging ice spikes as fast as she could, but none of them connected.

"You can't hide behind these idiots forever!" Reki spat at Karida, who was standing beside Jomei now. The sandbender, having amassed quite a pile of sand on the other side of the room, lifted it towards Reki with a grunt of effort, moving it over her head. Then she let it all fall.

Reki got out of the way, diving over the edge of the walkway, catching it with both hands at the moment the sand impacted, then swinging her body back up onto solid stone, past Zoukani, to face Jomei, Kyuzo, a bedraggled Siensao, and Spike, who blocked her path to Karida. The swordswoman had recovered enough to smile again, a nasty, vicious grin.

"This was your plan?" she taunted them. "Try and push me into the water while distracting me with _lies_ about my exile?"

"Yes, but one of the backup plans was to confirm beyond any doubt that you want to know the truth and won't die until you do," Siensao said, the triumphant gleam in her eyes undimmed by her brief swim. Zoukani passed Reki slowly, the two of them eyeing each other for any sign of movement, and then the whole group faced Reki as one. "Now that we've done that…Jomei, if you'd be so kind?"

The earthbender reached out to his element and a stone wall rose up, cutting them off from Reki. Then behind her, he slammed the other entrance shut, leaving her trapped on the walkway.

"Who says I won't kill myself?!" Reki snarled, raising her sword to her throat. "That's still an option here!"

"Go ahead, then!" Karida shouted. "Do it! But then you'll never know what really happened! You'll be remembered as a miserable failure of a conqueror who wound up a pathetic, whiny bitch at the end!"

Reki's knuckles turned white as her grip tightened on the sword hilt, and she felt the edge draw blood as she pressed it closer against her neck. All it would take was a single slice and she could spite them and the world as she died. But she didn't.

"You told me once," Siensao said, "that the woman who wants nothing is invincible. Very true. But no one is invincible. Not me, and not you. If anything, you want to show off. You knew we were planning something, and that we'd probably want to involve water somehow, and it would be underground, but you still walked into this trap. I call that arrogant. And you can't stand to think that you're the kind of person who would kill her own brother in a drunken rage. If you die now, you admit that we're right. And you've never admitted any of us was right about much of anything. You aren't going to do it now. So, Blood Drinker, what's it going to be?"

Reki let out a scream of such volume and hatred that all of them except Zoukani shuddered to hear it. That was nothing human. Then they heard a clattering of metal. Jomei opened up a small window in his wall and they saw she'd flung down her sword and stood, glaring at them as though hoping to kill them with the force of anger alone.

"Somehow…some…_way!_" she said, the words ripping their way out of her. "You'll _suffer _for this."

"We'll see," Siensao said.

"Oh, and Jomei?" Reki said.

"Yeah?" the miner asked.

"_You_, I'll save for last."

* * *

Xin, rubbing his eyes wearily, came out of the small room looking gloomier than usual. Jomei, Siensao, and Kyuzo waited in a tense silence, the unspoken question hanging in the air like a shroud.

"It's done," he said. "It may interest you to know that it was the single most difficult job I've ever done in my years with the Dai Li. The initial breaking alone took four hours—most people break in less than two. And her mind is a mess. I've done what I could to contain the damage and section off the Blood Drinker from anything else, and it should hold for about half a year if she takes care not to poke at old wounds. I assume she won't, so I won't expect it to last more than a month. Try to be gentle with her until the conditioning really sinks in, that will be about a day or so, or she might have a relapse. And now that I'm done, I should go before I'm missed. I remind you, Siensao, that you are still under official sanction and I'm really not supposed to be here."

"Can I…um…talk to her?" Jomei asked hesitantly.

"Five minutes, no more," Xin stated, tucking his hands into his sleeves on his way out. "Don't tempt fate."

The miner got up, fur cap all twisted up in his hands and dread crawling through him on icy claws. _Any advice, Grandad?_ For once, he hoped the spirit answered, but his ancestor's response was no encouragement.

_Pray. Hard. And pray that it works._

Jomei found himself muttering the old supplications from the spring festival at Teoro more fervently than he'd ever done, despite them not applying at all and most the spirits they were addressed to being thousands of miles away.

"If you need to talk afterwards," Kyuzo said, attempting a reassuring smile, "I can listen sometimes, when I really try."

"Yeah," Jomei said shortly. "I'll let you know."

He opened the door and walked into the little room with the air of a man going to his death. The way that Fire Sage had walked away from the Tumen camp. The way that Spike was all the time.

Xin had bent the tools of his trade away, but the little room was still ugly, a place to stuff people away and forget about them. Reki was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at her feet. She looked up when he walked in, and the look on her face just about made him back right out again, but he was frozen in place. There was anger there, certainly, and righteous fury, but the dominant message that he got was _hurt. You hurt me,_ she accused him silently. _You did this to me._

Jomei hung his head, nodding almost imperceptibly.

"I…" he began, only to find himself with nothing to say after it.

"You what?" Reki asked. Her voice was the old Reki again, but delicate and deliberate, as if trying not to break something with the wrong word.

He tried to think of something. _I'm sorry. I had to. I couldn't let you die. I'd do it again. It's all my fault. I love you. I…_

"Never mind," he said finally. All his explanations were already made and already dismissed. There was little more to say, except…

"What happens now?" he asked involuntarily, fearing the answer. A cold sweat drenched him.

She shook her head slowly.

"I do not know and I cannot talk about it yet. I need…time to think."

"Okay," Jomei said quietly. She hadn't said no. It was the most he could have hoped for. And so, once again, he pinned his hopes on the smallest of chances.


	35. Wellspring of Wisdom

**A/N:** Apologies for the wait. We're approaching the end of this story arc and I want to make sure this stuff is good and ready before I release it into the wild. Thanks as always to Sylvacoer and enjoy the show.

* * *

Kyuzo was surprised to enter the Zhang Ai estate's library and find Jomei struggling with a book, with Karida sitting on the other side of the reading table and looking very amused.

"What've you got there?" he asked, curious.

"_A Contemporary Study of the Si Wong Tribes, Their Customs and Culture, by Professor Kuo Zei, Ba Sing Se University_," Jomei said, laboring through the title with visible effort. "Karida is correcting the errors, or more like rewriting the damn thing. It's next to useless."

"I met him once or twice before I ran into Reki the first time," Karida said, shaking her head at the memory. "He meant well, but everyone could see that he was the sort who would tell anyone and everyone about whatever he found, and most of our customs are not for outsiders. So when he kept pestering us, we made things up to keep him happy, so he wouldn't dig deeper and find out something he wasn't meant to. It seems he really took us at our word. He got basic customs right, and a few of our stories and legends, but everything beyond that is just nonsense. And very funny to read."

"Why don't you just ask Karida about whatever you're looking for?" Kyuzo wanted to know.

He snorted.

"It's not something for outsiders."

Kyuzo rolled his eyes.

"Jomei, take it from someone who knows women at least a little better than you do. That kind of problem is not something you want to try and handle by yourself. You need serious advice from people who know her, and Karida is the closest person we've got. So long as she doesn't mind—you don't mind, do you?"

Karida shook her head.

"You helped me defeat the Blood Drinker. I owe you a debt of blood and honor that can only be repaid through doing battle in your name at least once, and until then, such help as I can offer is yours. This I have sworn by—"

"Yeah, yeah, thanks, we get the picture," Jomei interrupted, annoyed. "You don't have to dress everything up so fancy all the time."

"If you're really looking for desert customs, that is one and you would do well not to disparage it," the sandbender said coolly and Jomei hung his head with a sigh.

"Right, sorry about that. I'm just not doing so well right now."

"I know how you feel," Kyuzo said sagely. "But you've got to get up and go and get that girl—crazy as she may be—or you'll never forgive yourself, am I right? This is the way to do it. Just ask for help."

Jomei looked at Karida.

"I'd like to know what they do in the Si Wong tribes when you're trying to really apologize to someone you…someone who means more to you than a friend or comrade, if that's something I'm allowed to know."

Karida hesitated.

"Normally it isn't, but since you've gotten so…involved already, I think an exception can be made, so long as you don't go repeating it."

"No worries there. It stops with me."

"You, though, Kyuzo, I must ask to leave."

The firebender chuckled.

"I know, I talk too much. Well, if you want advice on how we do things in the Fire Nation, just let me know." He wandered off again, whistling to himself.

Karida thought a moment.

"Your situation is in something of a grey area, unfortunately. There is no specific custom for…um…unmarried…close friends to apologize to one another for something of this nature." She hesitated again, turning a little red in the face, "There _is_ a specific custom for when a husband or wife wish to apologize to one another."

Jomei burst out laughing. It had been so long that he found it hard to stop. Karida initially tried to remain stoic, but found herself laughing too, albeit quietly and with a hand over her mouth to stifle the worst of it. When at last he recovered, he was able to explain a bit further.

"You know what, that works for me. Go ahead and tell me, how does this tradition work?"

"It depends on the magnitude of the offense in question," Karida replied. "There is a slight offense, a grave offense, and a deadly offense. But in the case of the last one, it's generally assumed you would no longer be among the living, so it's very seldom used. I think, though, that's what would best apply. Let's see…you would go to her and recite an original poem detailing your sorrow and your desire to kill yourself in some appropriate fashion if she won't hear you out and at least give you a chance to apologize. She would then invite you in for tea, under the idea that since you will likely be dead soon, it doesn't matter what the two of you say to each other and both sides can speak openly. Hopefully, you would work something out and not actually have to make good on your promise, but it has happened that some people have and they had more poetry in them than bravery when it came to dying. Generally, you would swear to obey her in all things until such time as she has truly forgiven you."

"I do that anyway," Jomei said, "Well, mostly."

Karida shrugged

"Then I'd leave it up to you two to decide what should happen. That is the tradition, at any rate."

The miner considered it a moment, then hung his head, resting his chin in his hand.

"I'm no good at poetry, I'm terrible at making tea, and it's about even odds on whether or not she'll want me to follow through on whatever horrible death I invent for myself."

"I'm at a loss as to why you would bother, honestly," Karida said, frowning. "You heard Xin. Nothing can hold back the Blood Drinker forever, and she'll never go away permanently. Reki wasn't wrong in saying that only death remained for her. And she deserves it for everything she's done. What makes you think all this is worth it? In another month, she'll be gone again, one way or another."

"Then for that month, I want her to be happy and at peace, one way or another," Jomei answered without hesitation. "That won't happen when there's still all of this between us. So you're about to give me a quick lesson in poetry and tea brewing, if you don't mind."

Karida was taken aback, and looked thoughtful.

"I see. It is not forbidden to make use of another's poetry, but neither is it encouraged. And Reki has never liked tea. Even when she was younger, she preferred wine if she was to drink something other than water. Though that may be because Si Wong black tea is an acquired taste to outsiders and many tribesmen as well. I doubt she would mind if you substituted something for the tea that is a little stronger, or left it out altogether. What's most important is the intent and the meaning behind what you do, not the literal acts proscribed themselves. I have learned recently that traditions can stifle as well as protect. And you are not of the desert."

"No," Jomei agreed readily. "I'm not. That doesn't mean I don't want to do this right. Guess I've got some reading to do."

* * *

Siensao entered Spike's cell with an upbeat air that made the waterbender suspect something was up. More than usual, anyway.

"Now that the Blood Drinker is dealt with," the merchant said, "I've come here because I finally have the time and the inclination to address your concerns about the war and the way I'm fighting it."

"That would be a pleasant surprise," Spike said.

"First of all, don't even think about following through with whatever stupid idea you're cooking up about turning on me once I've served your purpose," Siensao said coldly. "You could have made a break for it on the way back to the estate after we dealt with Reki. I'm sure Kei Dao would have enjoyed helping you evade me and get out of the city and I wouldn't have gone after you. You're still here because you think eventually, once I'm a danger to your version of the Earth Kingdom, you'll be here to put an ice spike into my head. I'm not that stupid, Nerrivek. Don't make the same mistake so many others have."

Spike gazed back with a calm, empty expression. "Why am I still alive and listening to you tell me this?" she asked, "if that's what you think."

"A few different reasons, some of which I don't feel like explaining to you. But among them is the fact that, unlike the Blood Drinker, you're not an unpredictable and impulsive mass-murderer. So until I slip up, you'll do exactly as I say and no more; I might still be able to convince you that the course of action I'm taking is the right one. It'll keep me sharp and on my toes to have you around. I thought I'd let you know now that I'm watching you. So to take a phrase from the Blood Drinker, one shot is all you get. If you miss, it's over."

"I rarely miss," Spike said. "Now why are you here? It wasn't to make unproven accusations."

"Not just for that, no," the merchant agreed with a jubilant smile that caught the waterbender by surprise. She withdrew a piece of paper from her sleeve and held it out. "This just fell into my lap today and I intend to make use of it. I'm presenting my case to the White Lotus _today,_ and I'd like you to be there when I do."

Taking the note, Spike labored through the words. Reading had never been her strong point.

_To Siensao Zhang Ai:_

_ I have heard a great deal lately about you and your recent activities among the Order. Exposing the Black Lotus as you did is quite an accomplishment and you should be proud of it. I'd like to speak with you about your goals for the Order and how best to realize them. If today at midday is a good time—and I'm sorry about the short notice—I'll be waiting down at Pao's Tea Shop in the Lower Ring's Xianzhou District. If not, send a list of good times back with the messenger and we'll work something out. I hope to see you soon._

_Grand Master of the Flame_

"What does it mean?" Spike asked, though she had a good idea.

"It means that one of the three Grand Masters in the _world_, the leaders of the Order, has _finally_ noticed me and personally invited me to talk about my plans," Siensao declared. "I don't even need to finish the path anymore if this works. Admittedly, I've always heard the Grand Lotus for the Fire Nation has been the neutral member as far as going to war goes, but if anyone can convince him he'd do more good choosing a side, I can. Once I persuade him, we'll have a two-to-one majority over whatever stick-in-the-mud is handling things with the Water Tribes and the Order will go to war. So, Spike, how's that for getting things done?"

Spike shrugged. "It's progress according to _your_ agenda, but its progress. I'll go with you."

Taking the key to the cell out of her pocket, Siensao unlocked the door and swung it open.

"I'm sure you will," she said. "I have another plan regarding Reki and the head of the Black Lotus. We'll discuss it after I return."

* * *

Jomei rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn. It was amazing how much people could write and yet say next to nothing. It was official. He did not like poetry. And anyway, none of what he'd read really sounded like what he wanted to say. _Uh, Grandad?_

_No._

_ But-_

_No._

Jomei snorted. _And there goes that idea. Thanks a lot, Grandad._

_You're welcome for making you think for once in your life._

He sighed, closing the book he'd been leafing through. No, he was never going to find something that said exactly what he wanted to say in the form of a poem. He might as well just pick one at random and it would accomplish as much.

"Tell me, Jomei, have you ever heard of Cao Zhi?" Zhu Liang asked, walking up to the table where the miner sat, a book under his arm.

"Nope, never heard of him. Was he some poet?"

"Technically, he was a noble scion with an interest in writing poetry," the archivist answered. "But his brother took away most of his lands and titles for fear that he might rebel if given too much power. He wrote this after spending a few years as a wandering traveler. I don't know if it's appropriate, but I thought you might at least appreciate the message."

He set down the book and opened it to where he'd put in a bookmark.

"Well, it's got to be better than the stuff I've been reading," Jomei said, shrugging. "Thanks."

"It's the least I can do." Zhu Liang went on his way again, no doubt to get back to his writing. Jomei lowered his head and began reading. After a moment, he made his decision. _It's still stupid, but it's the best of a bad lot. Guess I owe him one._ He sighed. _Though now I actually have to go and go through with this._ Closing the book, he stood up, taking it with him. This, he was sure, was the bravest thing he'd ever done in his life.

Jomei wasn't the only one perusing literature and failing to get what he wanted. Kyuzo, after the talk he'd had the other day about motivation, was re-reading the firebending scrolls and texts, looking for something that would tell him what he really wanted, what he really was fighting for. So far, no luck.

"Still having trouble getting your fire going?" Kei Dao asked from right behind him.

"GAH!" Kyuzo yelped, trying to stand up but only succeeding in toppling the chair over on its side. The assassin chuckled and lent a hand in extracting him from the predicament.

"Could you please not do that?" Kyuzo asked, after he was back on his feet. "You scared me half to death there. What brought this on, anyway?"

"Wherever there is someone deserving of mockery, cosmic forces shall draw me near," Kei Dao intoned, perfectly deadpan. "Siensao still has me on retainer but no immediate plans, so I'm getting paid to sit around. It's terribly boring and you're the best option for a good conversation around here. So, I hear you're looking for something worth fighting for."

"Yes, I am," the firebender said, righting the chair and sitting down again. "I thought it was my goal, to stop the Fire Nation and end the war, but I guess it isn't something I feel is worth fighting for as much as I thought."

"Well, it certainly wouldn't be for me, if I were a firebender," Kei Dao agreed cheerfully. "War is an excellent source of employment for those of my profession. _I_ fight for gold. That's something worth fighting for and it's a very clear and present sort of reward, nothing abstract. The more I fight, the more gold I get. Very simple. Why not follow my sterling example?"

"Do you really?" Kyuzo asked, raising an eyebrow. "Gold is a means to an end, unless you're really that obsessed with having a lot of it. If I had a pile of money, I wouldn't know what to do with it right now. What are you planning to do with all your gold?"

"Well, it's not as much as you might think. There's a very significant overhead in my operation," Kei Dao said, losing some of his good cheer. "There's maintenance for all my gear, payments for my little network of spies and access to the syndicate's network if I need it for a job, bribes to various people, it adds up, you know."

"If you'd rather not answer, you could just say so," Kyuzo said. "I just thought I'd ask. But I can't fight for gold, anyway, is my point. I've never thought gold justifies killing someone and I still don't."

Kei Dao rolled his eyes. " Yes, yes, spare me your quaint notions of morality. You do realize that most soldiers care very little about the grand ideas people claim wars are about? You were a soldier for a brief period, surely you know this?"

"Of course I know that!" Kyuzo said, "But I was fighting to get back home then. Every enemy in my way was standing between me and getting back to my family alive. I can't fight for that anymore, though. But I've been thinking a lot about that, actually, and I've realized something: there isn't any idea or vision that I can use to empower my bending. Maybe others can, but I can't. I need something real. I need…"

"That woman you were fawning over?"

"I don't _want_ to start killing people over her," Kyuzo said wearily. "What will she think of me for doing a thing like that?"

"No, no, you'd be killing people to get back _to_ her, completely different."

"That's just splitting hairs!"

"Well, I hate to break it to you, friend, but splitting moralistic hairs keeps people like you and me relatively sane. You think I could function as well as I do if I angsted over all the people I've killed? Of course not! Either I was paid to kill them or they got in my way or I needed to maintain my reputation and that makes it okay. You see? Any other time, it's bad. Those times, it's just fine. It's the same way with Siensao or just soldiers in general. When they kill, it's because the other guy is the enemy or needs to die and that makes it…well, more okay than otherwise. For you, I'd say that anyone getting between you and that woman needs to die. See, simple. Just don't go trying to think too much about it or dissect all the ethical junk surrounding it and you'll be fine. Simple is better."

Kyuzo listened to the assassin's calm explanation of his lack of ethics with a mounting horror, but soon enough, that had dissolved into weary endurance. He'd heard too much of that kind of talk ever since he met Siensao to be offended by it now.

"I think you misunderstand me. I said I'm afraid of what she _will_ think of me, because it seems like she's really what I have left to fight for. As I am, though, I can only get angry, thinking about her and anyone who would harm her or prevent me from ever seeing her again." _I fear where that anger will lead_, he did not say aloud.

Kei Dao shrugged.

"Well, having never seen you angry in the first place, I can understand why it wasn't doing much for you. But if you ever change your mind, let me know. I'd like to see you _try_ and get mad." And with that parting remark, the assassin sauntered off, whistling a tune.

* * *

Siensao knew Pao's Tea House mostly by reputation, one of the thousand and one details of western Ba Sing Se that was crammed into her head. Nothing too special, it wasn't a syndicate-owned business or a front, and fell into something of a grey area between two gangs that could never agree on border lines, so it didn't pay protection money either. This made it a good spot for meetings between various business types. The quality of the product certainly wasn't the prime factor in drawing customers, or at least, it hadn't been at last report. But now, as she waited patiently for midday, Siensao could honestly say that she had rarely, if ever, had a better cup of tea than here. She made a note to snap up their brewer if he was amiable. The syndicate could always use better staff for the businesses they profited from and owned. _Though the service could be better. That boy with the scar is about as friendly as an angry badgermole. He just screams 'I deserve better than to be here.' Probably lost quite a bit when the Fire Nation rolled into town._ Then her idle musings were interrupted by the friendly, rumbling voice of the tea maker himself, an older man with a broad expanse of girth and long grey beard.

"Excuse me, but is this seat taken?" he asked, indicating the only remaining seat at her table, the other three being taken up by her, Zoukani, and Spike.

"Not at the moment," she replied. "By all means, sit down. I am expecting someone quite soon, though, just so you know."

Spike looked him over, then lost interest, since he wasn't a threat or their contact.

He sank down into the chair with a grateful sigh, causing the sturdy wood to creak loudly under the weight.

"Your generosity is much appreciated. I would rather spend my break talking with a beautiful woman than sitting alone back in the kitchen."

Siensao chuckled. "You're quite generous yourself, sharing your gift with the Lower Ring. Most teamakers of your caliber move up to the Middle or Upper Ring as soon as they can."

"Well, I haven't been in the city for very long. Perhaps one day soon I will follow their example. It has always been a dream of mine to own my own tea shop, you know. What about you? You must have some dreams of your own."

"I do, but they're proving very hard to achieve at the moment."

"Sometimes answers are closer than we think," he said encouragingly. "Who knocks at the garden gate, Siensao?"

The merchant was taken aback and couldn't help showing it a little.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries," she answered quietly. "I hardly expected to find a Grand Master from the Fire Nation working in a Lower Ring tea shop. I don't mean to offend, but why are you here and not in your homeland?"

"Well, I imagine you may have heard of my fugitive state, just not that it was me they were referring to. My name is Iroh."

Siensao's eyebrows shot up and Spike actually acquired an expression besides 'blank' on her face. The merchant didn't blame her. _General Iroh, the Fire Lord's brother, the Dragon of the West. Also apparently a Grand Lotus. Oh yes, I heard about that, you and Prince Zuko's flight from the Fire Nation. I just never imagined you'd have the _balls_ to come here, where if you're discovered it means instant death or worse. This is the person I have to convince._

"I've heard of you," she confirmed. "That would make this the first time I've been served tea by a prince, I suppose, if that really is your nephew."

"Of course he is. Why else would I call him that?" Iroh asked.

"Well…let's put that aside for a moment and get down to business," Siensao said, trying valiantly to recover lost momentum. "You know about my proposal, I assume?"

"Yes. And I'd like to say before we go any further that if the Avatar had not returned, I would give you my support at this very moment. But he has, and so at this point, I cannot."

"With all due respect," Siensao said, showing no trace of the terror she was fighting back, "the Avatar is a child, and far too idealistic at that. He's too hesitant to do what has to be done. He has the right to demand an immediate audience with the Earth King, and probably the strength to force the issue, but instead he's letting Long Feng call the shots. Even if I could get a chance to talk to him or send him a message, I doubt it would do any good. He'd never trust what I have to say just because I'm technically a criminal of the highest order. How is he going to stop the Fire Nation if he refuses to fight when he has to?"

"The Avatar is the kind of Avatar that the world needs," Iroh said calmly. "An Avatar eager to fight might well be just as eager to punish the people of the Fire Nation, innocent and guilty alike, in the name of justice for a hundred years of war. Only someone who genuinely desires peace above all else can guide the nations through the healing of these scars the war has put upon the world."

"Yes, I do agree," Siensao admitted, "but that's all going to have to wait until after we get there. And to get there, we need him to fight, and he won't. Not even against the Fire Lord, probably. He'll hesitate or not fight hard enough and Ozai will just murder him. Why would you trust someone like him to save the world?"

Iroh leaned back and took on a thoughtful look. "Well, destiny doesn't always make sense until it comes upon us. I thought for certain when I was young that I would lead the Fire Nation to glory by bringing Sozin's vision into reality, and yet, here I am now, more or less on the opposite side. Who could have thought that the Avatar would reappear after a hundred years, just in time to stop the Fire Nation before the comet arrives? But I know this much: destiny is our friend and ally in bringing an end to this war. The Avatar will face the Fire Lord, and until he does, I believe that the White Lotus must remain where it is in order to provide him guidance, instruction, and whatever support he needs in his travels. Forgive me, but you haven't really taken an interest in that aspect of our work lately, have you?"

"No," Siensao said reluctantly, "I haven't. I believed and still believe that he's a lost cause and we can't rely on him to succeed."

"Well, give him a chance," Iroh suggested. "You say that he can't possibly win against Long Feng. But I have heard from some friends in the White Lotus that his bison was seen flying over the city for a while before landing in an area that was cleared by Dai Li agents. Sooner or later, they will come into direct conflict."

"Oh, _shit_," Siensao said, giving in to the urge to slap her forehead in frustration. "He's going to do it, isn't he? He has no idea what he's up against!"

"Neither does Long Feng," Iroh remarked with a wry grin. "If the Avatar were to succeed in breaking the conspiracy of silence, would that change your mind about his chances of success?"

"You're asking quite a bit of me," Siensao said softly. "It's an awful risk I'd be taking, trusting him. If he fails, it might be too late, even for the Order."

"Nothing in life is without risk," Iroh replied. "And there are times when all anyone can do is trust in the unlikely. It may be there are some tiles yet to be placed on the board." His secretive smile made Siensao wonder just how much he knew. She sighed. _I'm going to regret this._

"All right. If he can do it, he'll have my support and the aid of the syndicate, as much as I can give him, anyway. You have my word."

"You give an old man hope for the younger generation, Lady Zhang Ai. Thank you. Now, then, I admit I'm quite curious about how you came to join your companions here with us. They've been awfully quiet."

"Zoukani lacks that particular ability," Siensao said. The soldier made a snipping motion across his lips and Iroh closed his eyes briefly, looking regretful. "And Spike, I'm sure, is trying not to yell at me for the deal I just made when I came here promising massive military action against the Fire Nation."

"If the Avatar will fight, we'll win," Spike said. "I've always known that. And if anyone can convince him to fight, the two of you can. It's risky, but it's our best chance for a quick and decisive victory. Even if the Order fought, it would be months or years before the tide turned enough for peace to become possible, if it ever did, with many chances for failure along the way. I don't like it, but I'll go along with it. For now. I hope you prove worthy of my trust."

"Here's hoping I prove worthy of yours," Siensao murmured.

"If you're as capable as your father," Iroh said with a smile, "I'm sure that you will."

"My father and I have exchanged about a minute's conversation since I returned to the city," Siensao said, frowning. "And if we add another minute before I leave, I'll be very surprised."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I had heard that Sun Shang isn't known for being affectionate, but not that things had become so cold between you."

"It's not your fault, it's just the way he is," Siensao said, waving off the sympathy. "He's incapable of it."

"Was there ever a time when he was?"

"You'll pardon me for asking what this has to do with anything. This is all rather personal business."

"I ask because I care," Iroh said gently. "The world is made a better place through little acts by many people more than grand gestures by a few."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but this is my problem to deal with."

"And if you were dealing with it by confronting it rather than running from it, all would be well. But if you find it hard to remember when your father was what a father should be, then both of you have let this problem fester for far too long. It will be painful, but it will only hurt more the longer you wait to act."

Siensao stood up.

"Thank you for your time," she said coolly. "I'm afraid my own hours are quite busy. Please excuse me."

The old general watched her go with a heavy heart.

* * *

Jomei stood outside Reki's door, attempting to build up his courage. He had been standing there for quite a while now, but was no closer to going to knock then when he arrived. _Oh, come on, I can do this! This is pathetic! No, it's a stupid idea, I should just wait another day…no, I'm going to do it. I just need to walk over there and knock, that's all. I can do that. I _will_ do it. Very soon._ He sighed. _Who am I kidding? I…okay, I'm doing it now before I can think about it!_

All in a rush, he stumbled over and knocked loudly.

"Who is it?" Reki asked.

Jomei hastily unrolled the copy of his chosen poem and began reading, eyes fixed on the parchment to avoid thinking about anything else.

"_Alas! This rolling tumbleweed_

_Living alone in this world – Oh why? Oh why?_

_Long have I left my roots and gone_

_Resting never, day nor night_

_From east to west, from south to north._

_A whirlwind rises, blowing me_

_into the clouds, where I thought_

_was the ends of Heaven_

_But all of a sudden –_

_I fall_

_deep into an abyss._

_I am carried out by a rapid gust._

_If only it were to take me back to the fields!_

_Southwards I am bound, but it takes me north;_

_Supposing it blows to the east, it turns to the west._

_Straying, drifting, with nothing to rely on –_

"_Surely I expire," I say, but my life goes on_

_To wander through the hills and plains_

_Turning, tumbling, with no place to stay –_

_Who would understand my agony, I pray?_

_May I be grass growing in a forest_

_To burn when autumn flames rage fiercest!_

_Destroyed by fire – know I naught of the pain?_

_I'd rather that, but with my roots remain."_

Silence fell and he waited, agonizing over every beat of his heart, until finally, Reki opened the door. Jomei kept his eyes glued to his feet.

"Um, this is the part where I'm supposed to threaten to kill myself unless you listen to me, I guess," he muttered. "So…yeah, I'm doing that, too. I'm not very creative, though, I'd probably just throw myself off a cliff or something. I don't have any tea, or even any wine, it seemed stupid to bring either into this. And yes, I know I'm doing this whole thing backwards, but it seemed like a good idea at the time."

More silence. Then, finally, an answer.

"I honestly do not care for poetry at all," Reki said. "But I do not wish you dead. Come in and we will say all that needs to be said, and perhaps I may dissuade you from the idea."

Still keeping his head down, Jomei followed her into the little room, then bent them both seats out of the stone floor.

"Jomei," Reki said, "I have little desire to speak meaningfully to the top of your head. If you are so intent on doing this right, look at me."

Slowly, the miner looked up. Reki's face was carefully blank and he breathed a little easier. She wasn't glaring at him. But not much easier. She wasn't smiling either.

"Now that you have seen what the Blood Drinker truly is," Reki said, "you see why I would rather have died than allow her any chance to return."

He nodded.

"You either did not believe me when I warned you, or you did believe me and still let her free anyway. But either way, you…_hurt_ me worse than I have ever been since I killed my brother. I suppose things have changed now that you know about that as well. But I do not know if I can trust you as I did anymore."

"If you don't," Jomei said, growing oddly peaceful, "I understand. But I've thought about what I did a lot and if it was the right thing to do. And if I had to do it again, I'd do it again, so long as there was the slightest chance of saving your life. If that's all I can do, or all I get in return, I'll still do it. Because seeing you here again is worth it. You're...well, the best thing I've found in the world since the Fire Nation came."

"I know," Reki said, a deep, bitter sorrow seeping into her voice. "And that's what hurts me the most. Because for so long, I have been willing to die. Actually, I would have welcomed it at many points during my wandering. But now, because of…all that has happened, I…" She paused, and her words took on a tone of wonder, mixed with sadness.

"I want to live. And that hurts so much more than anything you have done, because I know I do not deserve to nor can I even if I wish to. Xin was quite honest with me, I have another month or so left before either I find another stop-gap solution, which is unlikely, or I ensure the Blood Drinker stays dead this time, for good. So, Jomei, yes, you hurt me…and yet I cannot seem to learn from it."

Jomei could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"So, does that mean…?"

Reki smiled, and there was a world of pain and weariness in that smile, yet it managed to transform the hard lines of her face into something worth admiring.

"It means I am still as much of a fool as you are sometimes. Now that you know my story and my likely fate, I cannot for the life of me imagine why you continue to pursue an impossible dream…but I can no longer deny that I have joined in the search for it. For as long as you and I have left…I cannot forget, but I can forgive, this time. I…" She looked…_unsure,_ to his great surprise. "I do not know what will happen now or what I should do. I am not…skilled in this area."

By this point, Jomei was starting to sweat and coherent thoughts weren't exactly easy to form, but he still knew how he felt.

"Neither am I," he admitted. Then, as it moved by some otherworldly force, he stood up from his little seat and bent another one, extending the one Reki was sitting on enough for one more person. He followed up by sitting down next to her, and carefully, warily, putting one arm around her shoulders. He honestly didn't remember the last time she'd let him do anything like it outside of when she was too drunk to care. But this time, she didn't tense up or tell him she'd break his fingers if he didn't stop. And after some indeterminate length of time, he felt her own arm, seeming awfully thin and light, reach up to imitate him. It was easy to forget just how fragile she could be when she wasn't fighting.

Jomei eventually turned to look at her, aware that he was probably beet red, but even on her sun-darkened skin, he saw something similar.

"Um, so, do you want to—" he began.

Reki demonstrated, perhaps to the greatest possible effect, the merits of communicating with actions and not words.


	36. Machinations of the Mighty

**A/N:** Apologies for the delay. Many things have happened and due to my present happy state of employment, my hours are no longer entirely my own and so my rate of writing has been correspondingly reduced. I will continue writing, of course, until this is finished, have no fear on that count. Thanks as always to Sylvacoer for editing work and enjoy the show.

* * *

"So, what happens now?" Reki asked her oldest living enemy.

"I don't know," Karida admitted. "I didn't think this kind of situation was possible."

The two women were sitting across from each other in one of the Zhang Ai estate's meeting rooms. The awkwardness was palpable.

"Let me put it another way, then," Reki said. "What will you do now?"

"I am honor-bound to repay your allies for their aid in my fight," the sandbender answered without hesitation, falling back on tradition. "So until I have fought at least once for them, I must remain in their company. And afterwards, I had thought I will return to the desert and try once again to unite the tribes. I doubt I'll succeed or survive the attempt, but when I was doing it the first time…I was a better person then, better than I was when my motives were fueled by vengeance. At least, I thought more clearly then. I'd like to be that way just once more before the end. But…well…"

"You do not wish to leave me and take the chance that the Blood Drinker will escape again and this time you will not be there to stop it," Reki finished the thought, and Karida nodded. Reki sighed.

"I do not blame you for fearing that. I fear it myself. I will make you a promise. If you will stay for a month and I have not found a permanent solution in that time, I will go with you to the desert and face justice for my crimes."

"Your _cloud-on-the-horizon_ won't like that," Karida said, using the Si Wong term for a man engaged to be married and Reki rolled her eyes.

"He does not like any danger that threatens me. That does not change the fact that it is there and we must act accordingly. What is important is that he will understand, just as you and I do. Is my pledge acceptable?"

"Swear it properly and it is."

Reki, for once, bowed to tradition and spoke the words. It was the least she could do for one that she had greatly wronged.

"I, Reki of the Si Wong, swear by what honor is left to me, the blood of a warrior fallen, and the steel of a spirit unbowed, to do as I have said or die in the attempt. That is one of the few things I am glad I do not have to listen to any longer. If I had been someone to be bound by tradition, my teeth would have rotted from all the sweet words they would have me spout. Pointless tradition."

"It means a great deal to me," Karida said, bowing her head. "Thank you." She rose to go.

"One more thing," Reki said, her eyes narrowed. "if Jomei somehow learns any of our…epithets of endearment, you and I will have words."

Karida raised her hand to hide a smile. She had never thought this kind of thing would come up either. It was disconcerting to have a former mortal enemy make threats about her love life.

"If he asks, I am bound to answer."

"See that he does not ask. I am no one's _moon-to-be-grasped_."

Karida nodded and left, stepping to one side as Jomei entered, biting her lips and keeping her head down as she walked back to her room. Jomei entered a moment later.

The miner was still learning his way in this strange dance of theirs and stumbling quite a bit, but her tiny smile upon seeing him enter was something majestic even now.

"Hey," he said in greeting. "Siensao sent me to fetch you, we're about to go over the plan to get those Black Lotus types." He glanced over his shoulder. "I ran into that sandbender going the other way. Is everything all right with you two? She did try to kill you a few times."

"She would not be much of a warrior if she had not," Reki said, standing up. "Things will never be easy between us, but the matter is settled. She will oversee my death in a month's time if nothing can be done. Until then, she stays with us."

Jomei nodded, having no wish to argue again about their time limit and his own lack of ideas to resolve the issue.

"All right. Do you think she'd teach me sandbending as long as she's around? I know I still haven't done all those things you said, but there's no harm in asking, is there?"

"It is true, you have not saved my life in battle except from myself," Reki said thoughtfully. "I cannot swear a blood oath of kinship between us. And you are still not of Si Wong ancestry. But there is a third way in which you can become bound to the desert enough to be considered for a student."

"What's that?"

"Something not fit to be discussed when battle looms before us. Siensao's patience is not limitless and we should be on our way."

* * *

"It's time to deal with the Black Lotus," Siensao said, leaning forward and resting her hands on the table. "Once and for all. By approaching Reki, they've given us the chance to take out their leaders, the masterminds behind all the various assassins and death plots that have been coming our way lately. Here's the plan." She looked around at those gathered. Karida was among them, but Kei Dao was not. If there was a time for the assassin to turn his coat like he'd done with his previous employers, now would be the time, so he wouldn't get the chance.

"Reki, you take Kyuzo with a bag over his head out and get away with whoever they send. He and Zhu Liang have a similar enough build that they won't be able to tell the difference. You tell them that you want to be taken to the Burning Wind Gate, it's the southwest one and offers the quickest train ride to the Outer Wall and the ferry ride back to the desert borders. When taking you through the Undercity, the routes available are limited by regular guard and Daid Li patrols and gang activity. At one point, close to their destination, there's only one way for them to go and that's where we'll hit them. If they change tactics and go above ground, I'll have watchers ready to alert us in time to intercept them just outside the gate. There's a small reservoir that opens there that Spike can take advantage of. Any questions?"

"We _are_ going to hit them without talking first, right?" Jomei asked. "I mean, I know you know that's the point of an ambush, but…"

"That's all right, Jomei, it's a valid question and yes, that's how it's going to go. They're too dangerous to attack any other way."

"Um, once the ambush starts, how do I avoid dying?" Kyuzo asked.

"You'll fall to the ground, burn off your ropes, and join the fight from there. Reki will help you get out from among them, and she'll be carrying your bombs."

"You will do fine so long as you do not talk and are capable of falling over when you hear fighting," Reki said. "So we have a moderate chance of success."

"Okay," Kyuzo said with a shrug. "I can work with that."

"Shouldn't we take more people?" Spike asked. "There are only seven of us and we don't know how many of them there are. Wouldn't they want a lot of people with the Blood Drinker around?"

"Not necessarily," Siensao said, a little smile playing about her lips. "The Blood Drinker's little display in front of Xin has made the rounds of the rumor mill, along with a few other stories about her from the desert and with some encouragement from the syndicate informants, I can assure you that no mercenary will want to go up against her and mercenaries are all they have left to augment their forces. Besides, having too many people packed into those tunnels is asking for a slaughter. I believe we'll outnumber them, in fact. Anything else?"

There was not, and Siensao nodded.

"Good. There's just one more thing I need to take care of before we head out. A…private matter – Zoukani, I'll need you to stay here. If all goes well, I'll be right back. If it doesn't, Zoukani can get you to the site of the ambush and you'll want to listen to Reki when the fight starts."

"Hang on just a minute!" Kyuzo protested. "What is it you need to do that's so dangerous?"

"I'm going to speak with my father," Siensao answered, "And it's possible either one or both of us won't exit the conversation alive."

The firebender's mouth hung open for a moment before he closed it and Siensao walked out alone.

"Do you think she was being serious or just messing with me?" Kyuzo murmured to Zoukani. The old soldier wasn't smiling.

"Great," Kyuzo said. "Just great."

* * *

Sun Shang Zhang Ai looked much as he had when she first returned to Ba Sing Se, ensconced behind his desk, keeping the syndicate running and maintaining his reputation as one of the most feared and merciless people in the city. He only glanced up momentarily when she walked in, then went right back to writing.

"What is it you need?" he asked. Quiet. Polite. That was his way and her own, calm and collected until someone tried to screw with you and had to learn the hard way why that wasn't done.

"Oh, nothing much, I'm just about to go off and quite possibly get myself killed on a dangerous mission and thought I'd come over and let you know," she said, a world of hateful sarcasm in her voice.

"You'll survive. I know that and so do you." He didn't even look up again.

"And what if I didn't?" she demanded. "Would you even care? Do you care about anything?!"

"We've had this conversation before and I see no point to having it again." The bastard still wasn't looking at her, but now he seemed even more intent on not doing so. Then he heard the sound of a sword being drawn and looked up. He found himself staring down the length of Siensao's katana, with the woman holding it looking very upset indeed. To his credit, he recovered almost instantly and carefully set down his brush, interlacing his hands in front of him.

"I agree," she said. "So instead we're going to have a conversation where you take me seriously for once or one of us isn't going to be walking out of this office alive. Now, I asked you a question and I expect an answer. Do. You. Fucking. Care? About anything?"

He sighed and said nothing.

"You don't get it," Siensao said, chuckling unpleasantly. "You still aren't taking me seriously. You think I won't do it."

"Not true," Sun Shang said. "I fully believe you will and I've prepared for the possibility. If you kill me, you'll either have to take over the syndicate or give it to your cousin Han Yi Zhang Ai and either option means it will still be in capable hands, so I have no regrets. I've taught you both well, or so I thought. You're making me reconsider."

"And why is that?" Siensao bit out.

"You're acting very irrationally right now. You should only want to kill me because it's for the good of the syndicate, not because you dislike me for teaching you how to be successful in running an operation like this."

"Oh, is that what you call that lousy excuse for a childhood?" she said in mock surprise.

"If you need to hear this again, I'll tell you," he said with a shrug. "Running a syndicate means you're automatically a target for everyone. It means you can't care about anything, ever, or someone will know and recognize it as a weak point, a method by which to attack you. If you ever have children, then you'll understand and you'll do the exact same thing I did. So I'm choosing to ignore the irrational part of your actions because some things can only be learned through experience and being a parent is one of them."

"No," she said, "that's wrong. Running a syndicate means you can't be _seen_ to care, it means you have an image of ruthlessness that has to be maintained. It means you have to be careful beyond imagination not to show weakness of any kind. It doesn't mean it's impossible to care. So then, let me put this another way. If you were just some ordinary person, like the merchant you pretend to be, would things be different? Would you have cared then? I mean, it's not like I wanted much, I thought I understood what you meant, that it was only when we were absolutely sure no one was watching and then maybe you could…" She trailed off, frustrated and unable to find the words for once in her life. "Answer the question!"

For one of the few times since she had known him, Sun Shang looked uneasy and hesitant. He made no reply and looked down again. But that, of course, was in itself an answer. Siensao lowered her sword.

"Is this what grandfather did to you?" she asked quietly. "He made you this afraid?"

Again, silence prevailed. She put her sword away, shaking her head. She had the answer she'd wanted for so many years and all it did was make her pity her father. It was not remotely satisfying.

"I guess that's it, then," she said. "I'm so glad we had this talk." She turned and left. After a moment, Sun Shang picked up his brush and went on writing as if nothing had happened.

* * *

Jomei could be patient. He'd proved that in Teoro and again later on. But he preferred having something to do to occupy his time while he waited. Even swinging a pick again was better than just sitting around doing nothing. But then, the sign of a perfect operation, so Siensao said, was that it was boring. This had to be the best operation for them so far. At least the place was as good as Siensao had claimed.

The site of the ambush was a square room about fifty paces on a side, big enough for benders to fight but small enough that non-benders could close the distance fast enough to be effective. Two tunnels led out of it, one east and one west. On the south side was an old stairway, choked with rubble and debris. It had once led to the surface to allow access for those seeking the aqueduct on the north side of the room, running through a channel beyond a waist-high wall so no one had to bend over to fill a bucket or a jar. A handful of fading glowcrystal torches lit up the place, though a blocked-off skylight was visible on the ceiling.

Jomei and the others waited within some shallow alcoves he had carved out of the stone and blocked off with a thin layer of rock. It wouldn't stand up to serious scrutiny, but in the instant their enemies walked in, they'd be able to surprise them. Siensao and Zoukani were on either side of the eastern entrance, so that as non-benders they'd be as close as possible to the fight. Jomei and Karida were on either side of the west entrance to put then at optimal earthbending range. Spike was stowed away in an alcove above the aqueduct.

Karida had spent the time waiting profitably, dissolving much of the stone on all sides of the room, as well as the floor and ceiling, into sand, but making sure to keep it restrained behind a thick layer of rock so that it would look normal until it was too late.

The miner waited for what seemed like forever, but time had a way of warping underground and he knew it was probably less than an hour after they'd arrived when he heard voices echoing from the east. Slowly, they became audible and he heard footsteps as well, moving quickly but not hurried.

"You know, at some point I'm just going to assume you're leading me in circles and kill one of you." Reki's voice reached his ears, annoyed and flippant. "By the way, I am curious, how exactly did you come up with this whole stupid idea? Did the three of you just get together one day and decide you wanted method of suicide no one had ever thought of before?" Jomei winced. To someone who had been traveling with Reki a long time, the difference between her and the Blood Drinker was obvious, even though she was acting pretty well. There just wasn't the same mad joy slithering through her speech or the same mercurial, bloodthirsty _presence_. He hoped they hadn't noticed. _So there's just three of them. Well, that's not so bad._

The person who answered sounded strangely familiar.

"I walked the _path to the horizon_ once, long ago when I was young, and Thai Dei with me. We met Akycha here in Ba Sing Se, and the subject came up when we spoke of preserving the Order. It was a strange coincidence. Almost enough to make a man believe in destiny."

Then something clicked into place and Jomei had to stop himself from springing the ambush early. _That miserable old bastard! Oh, this has been a long time coming. Get out here so I can kill you, you dirty traitor!_

Their enemies entered the room, emerging into the dim light, and Jomei saw Reki had spoken true. There were three of them, plus the bagged Kyuzo and Reki herself, sword resting upon her shoulder and wearing the firebender's twin bandoliers of bombs. A Water Tribesman he didn't know preceded them, a swordsman he didn't know was in the middle of the group next to Reki, but in the back was one Master Dongzhou of Omashu. The elderly earthbending master looked worse for the wear, gaunt and bony, but not much less.

Jomei moved the instant Dongzhou cleared the entrance, bursting through the stone in front of him in an explosion of dust and rock shards. Remembering his lessons about controlling the battlefield, he brought his hammer down and sent a wave of thick, choking dust towards his opponents. Kyuzo fell over superbly and pressed the secret button that unlocked his cuffs – the same pair they'd used on Spike, while Reki fended off Thai Dei's heavy slashes. The eastern swordsman's blade was heavier than her own and he took full advantage of his greater strength.

Siensao and Zoukani were only a heartbeat behind Jomei in bursting out of their hiding places, but the dust cloud hit before they could move and before Spike could bend anything. Karida twisted her free hand, the one not holding a sword, and the floor under their enemies dissolved into sand. The enemy response was immediate and devastating.

Dongzhou proved that he had earned the rank of master. He used one hand to clear the dust from the air and the other to turn the floor to stone again in the same instant. Then he took hold of the stone armor Jomei was wearing and flung the miner into Karida, sending both of them tumbling to the floor in a tangle of limbs. The Water Tribesman demonstrated that he was a waterbender of some skill, dissolving the ice spike flung his way with a flick of his wrist. Then he summoned a mighty river of water from the aqueduct and froze Spike in place before she could move out of the way. Thai Dai showed his prowess, holding off Reki one-handed for a frantic few seconds while drawing a throwing knife and hurling the blade at Kyuzo with the other. In that instant, their ambush was within a split second of failing.

Then things turned around again.

As Dongzhou tried to crush Jomei and Karida with a column of stone from the ceiling, both of them joined their power to smash it into sand, and the attack left a wide opening out of which poured an avalanche of more sand, burying the two benders, and both of them swiftly tunneled away. As Spike was about to be crushed within the ice, Zoukani and Siensao moved in, forcing the waterbender to turn it back into liquid and swing a watery shield into place between them. Spike splashed into the aqueduct but managed to grab hold of the retaining wall before the current swept her away and dragged herself out. Kyuzo focused on the thought, the idea, the impossibility that these people were standing between him and Jura, and unleashed his best fire blast in weeks. Water flashed into steam and he definitely got the waterbender's attention. Reki and Thai Dei's duel was changing course, with Thai Dei now slowly retreating, playing defensive to keep the swordswoman occupied and hoping things went well with his friends.

A third second of combat dragged its way into reality, slow as molasses to those caught up in the fight.

Jomei burst up out of the ground in another burst of dust and bits of rock, next to the enemy waterbender, already swinging his hammer, while Karida turned the floor to sand again and carefully poked her head up above ground just enough to see. The waterbender was quick, interposing his element between them, but his shield was getting smaller. Kyuzo's next series of fire blasts boiled more of it away. The firebender was yelling for his bombs. Zoukani and Siensao switched targets to Thai Dei, keeping the swordsman busy while Reki shrugged off the heavy bandoliers and threw them at Kyuzo. Spike came after Dongzhou, throwing ice spikes as fast as she could. The old master was nowhere near as quick as he needed to be to block or dodge them unarmed and when he tried to pull down a wall of stone from the ceiling, he brought more sand down instead, which did block the spike but also gave Karida more power.

The tide had turned, and the battle would end soon. Both sides sensed it, but only one could seize victory.

Kyuzo scrambled over to his bombs, snatched one up, and lit it with a finger snap.

"Flashbang!" he yelled, lobbing it up in the air, and all his enemies closed their eyes for a split second. That was their undoing. Kyuzo snapped his fingers again and the fuse was snuffed out before the grenade went off. Then he threw a fire blast that burned away the last of the waterbender's shield. An ice spike took the Water Tribesman in the gut immediately afterwards. When Dongzhou opened his eyes again he found Karida's sword at his throat and he was standing with sand all about him. Reki made her move, a curious twist of her sword. Steel screeched and she disarmed Thai Dei, sending his weapon skittering across the floor. She and Zoukani kept him covered with sword and spear. The fight was over. Time began moving normally again and Jomei realized just how lucky they had gotten. _We won because we prepared this place, we picked it, and we outnumbered them seven to three. And even then, we almost lost there for a minute. That was close, all right._

Siensao, sword still drawn, approached the old earthbender.

"So," he said wearily, "this is how it ends. I'm glad I won't live to see the Order destroyed. I have no wish to live in the kind of world you're creating or that the Fire Nation is making."

"Fine with me," Jomei said, raising his hammer for a deathblow, but Siensao motioned him to stop.

"I take it you didn't fare so well when Omashu fell?" she asked the old earthbender.

"I was warned, along with all the other White Lotus initiates, when the Fire Nation was within a day's march of the city, and most of us either went into hiding or got out. But as the master of the Zan Yu Earthbending Academy, I had a responsibility to my students, who stayed with their families. I stayed and didn't hide. Imagine my surprise when the Fire Nation didn't respect either my years or my station."

"I don't have to imagine," Kyuzo murmured quietly. He'd seen that flash of surprise followed by horror too many times to count.

"Oh, what, that whole peaceful standing aside thing didn't work out for you?" Jomei scoffed. "I told you that the first time we met. I guess some people need to be hit over the head with a lesson to learn it. I'd hoped you were at least better than me about that, but I guess not."

He found that his one-time teacher could still muster a look of supreme disinterest in his mockery and make him feel a little smaller for making it.

"Let me remind you, pupil Jomei, you underwent more or less the same experience as me, though I grant you I wasn't forced into months of hard labor. You lived in your little village, safe and more or less happy, ignoring the outside world, until the Fire Nation came down on you and they were not kind. In fact, they were even harsher than you'd expected. It took that experience to teach you resolve. But I'm too old for a war. The only lesson I learned was that my time and the time of the Black Lotus, has passed. We're too weak to maintain the sanctity of the Order and its place in the world. I don't regret what we did, but it seems our efforts were doomed no matter what happened."

"Well then, why were you trying to kill me at all?" Siensao wanted to know. "If that's what you came to think, why bother going to all this trouble?"

Dongzhou waved dismissively.

"As if you would have ever stopped hunting our organization. The only way was to make you think you had one, and then we could live out our days in what peace is left to us. But then that Dai Li agent got more involved than he should have."

"It wouldn't have helped you," Siensao told him coldly. "The syndicate, under my direction, has spent the last few weeks looking up those people who have entered the city through the gate you were taking Reki to and checking their stories. You and Thai Dei, under false names, are on record, and the only people I couldn't account for in some way. We were very thorough. I knew who I'd be facing before you walked into this room. I just found out yesterday, in fact. The waterbender was a surprise, but not enough of one."

Dongzhou sighed.

"Such is the fate of those who dare to dream, all too often. Are you going to kill me now, or keep talking philosophy? You do seem to enjoy the sound of your own voice."

"I have a fondness for intelligent conversation," Siensao said without missing a beat. "I'm not so foolish as to fall into that trap. I'd kill you right now if I thought I could get away with it, but you are fairly high-ranked within the Order and you'd be missed eventually. I'm not going to take the chance that the ensuing investigation would point to the syndicate and so to me. I can't possibly see how it could, but stranger things have happened and with people like you, it pays to be paranoid. You probably have a plan in the event of your death. I know I do. So I've arranged something better."

"How so?"

Siensao glanced over to their other two prisoners. Thai Dei had his arms crossed and his face betrayed nothing. The waterbender looked only a decade or so younger than Dongzhou and was more concerned with the new spike-shaped hole in his stomach than anything else. He looked like he was in shock.

"You two have anything to say?"

"I always knew that one day the spirits would suffer my violence no longer," Thai Dai said. "That day, it seems, is today. I made peace with this fact long ago."

"I have…nothing to say to the likes of you, woman," the waterbender said, pained but heartfelt.

Siensao rolled her eyes.

"This is the problem with final confrontations, no one takes the time to really delve into matters in any length. I so rarely get the chance to talk before I kill people, and you have nothing to say. Wonderful. Well, anyway, I let slip to a Dai Li spy this morning the results of my aforementioned efforts to hunt you down. I never said I wanted you dead, quite the opposite, in fact, which means that once they get wind of your location and identity, they'll be after you to use you as a bargaining chip with the syndicate." She tilted her head to one side, listening.

"Oh, that sounds like them now. About time, I was getting tired of talking on and on with someone like you. That was also my backup plan in case we started losing the fight, by the way."

The faint hiss of stone sliding against stone became audible in the silence that followed and Dongzhou went pale.

"You know what they do to people!" he said. "What if they find out what I know about the Order?"

Siensao smiled.

"Why, so I do. And don't try that line on me, they don't know you're an initiate so why would they think to ask? Places, everyone! Just step back a bit."

She put her sword away and suited action to words, taking a few steps back. Jomei, stone-faced, returned his hammer to its place on his back, Karida did likewise with her sword, and the rest of the group did the same, standing down from a posture of threat. Then the Dai Li arrived, sweeping into the room from the dark depths of the eastern tunnel, and stone gloves flew, grabbing hold of the three Black Lotus heads and yanking them away from Sienaso's group, who drew their weapons again.

"What is this about?!" Siensao demanded, putting on a fine show of outrage. "What are you doing here?"

"We're taking custody of these men," the agent in the lead informed her. "If you have business with them, you may contact us and we'll see if a meeting can be arranged."

"On what charges?" the merchant demanded.

"Sedition."

"Oh, you're not even going to be a little imaginative, just the usual blanket charge when arresting people for no good reason? This isn't over, you know. Do you know who you're dealing with?"

"You know who you're dealing with, so whoever you are doesn't matter. Enjoy the rest of your day in the finest city in the world, ma'am." And with that, Siensao's great enemies were at last neatly dealt with. A small show of defiance to prove the syndicate was still powerful and Long Feng would execute them forthwith to prove it wasn't, if only to the higher-ups who might know about Siensao's seemingly desperate search.

Karida, who had stayed silent throughout the conversation, at last spoke up again.

"And so my debt to you is paid, Siensao Zhang Ai. Let us speak as equals once more. I'm not proud of what we just did. I'm glad it's over."

"You and me both," Reki agreed. "Siensao, I will not act as the Blood Drinker ever again. This hour in their company was like nothing you have ever experienced. You _owe_ me."

"I know," Siensao said. "I'll pay you back as soon as I can. What is it you want?"

"When I know, I will tell you."

"Um, can we talk about this later, after we get Spike to a healer?" Kyuzo asked, gesturing to the waterbender, who had retrieved a wad of bandages from a pocket and was busily binding up the gash in her side, her face set in a rigid mask.

"Of course, of course," Siensao said. "Come on, let's get out of here. Now that this whole mess is dealt with, we have an Avatar to meet with, though I have no idea how just yet."

* * *

Much to her surprise, Siensao found Xin waiting for her at the Zhang Ai estate and he looked very worried.

"What is it?" she asked without preamble. "What's wrong?"

"A few hours ago, Long Feng was just arrested by order of the Earth King," Xin said. "The Avatar broke the Silence and convinced him of the truth about the war."

Siensao swayed on her feet, one hand going to her head as she struggled to process the news. She fought off a wave of dizziness. _I am not going to faint again!_

The rest of the group was similarly affected, though perhaps not as much as her.

"Huh. I guess the little punk is good for something after all," Jomei grumbled. "I'm still going to punch him in the face, though. He's not getting out of it."

"What…how?!" Siensao finally demanded.

Xin raised his hands helplessly.

"Look, I can explain the details later, right now we need to deal with the fallout. We know the syndicates are going to jump on this and try to get into the Royal Palace and tons of people are going to try and talk to the Avatar. There's going to be chaos in this city while everyone tries to turn this to their advantage. I'm here because now that Long Feng is imprisoned, I'm not bound by his orders anymore and I know you're the best person to help contain the problems in the palace. If I can get you in to see the Avatar for a few minutes, can you convince him to recommend you for the post of Grand Secretariat? The Earth King's a fool, he'll do what the kid tells him so long as it sounds good. We need you to handle the plots of the noble families, the Earth King's relatives, _and_ help stop the syndicates from going crazy and in the worst case, starting a war over this. Not to mention, but the Avatar really needs good advice on how to handle this city and you're definitely a good person to give it to him. I know it's sudden, but I need your answer now."

Siensao began breathing hard as her thoughts accelerated to blinding speed. _From heir to the syndicate to the second most powerful person in the Earth Kingdom. Just like that. Oh, yes, and I'd instantly gain the enmity and mistrust of the Avatar, all the noble houses, all the syndicates, and probably Long Feng himself, even if I'm only doing the same thing he would in my place. The possibilities, though…the endless possibilities._

"I can do it," she said firmly. "I'll need a crash course on everything you know about the Avatar, his friends, their activities and histories, and the current situation within the palace. I'll spend the night studying and meet with him tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," Xin said, letting out a sigh of relief. "That eases my mind. I'll have a copy of their dossiers forwarded to you immediately."

* * *

The assassin wore the appearance and clothes of a common servant, not well suited at all for the company in which she now arrived. But as she stepped into the large, palatial room, she shed the face and mannerisms of a servant for her own and no one questioned her right to be there. She knelt before the occupant of the room's most prominent chair, touching her brow to the floor as befitted anyone in the presence of royalty.

"The Avatar and all but one of his friends have made plans to leave Ba Sing Se this afternoon, my lady, and are expected to be away for at least a week. A leading authority figure in the city has been arrested and the underworld is seething with chaos. The people are uneasy. If my lady will forgive my presumption, I must say that now is the perfect time to strike."

"You are forgiven," Azula said. Her smile was meticulous malevolence given form. "I agree, there won't be a better time to act. You've done well in your reconnaissance, Yukari. Once we've infiltrated the city, I'll have further tasks for you. We'll pass you off as a servant of ours and no one will pay attention to you. A healer, perhaps. For now, you will begin gathering information within the palace."

"And my target, Princess?"

"Will remain alive and well until I explicitly order her death," Azula said, growing stern and cold. "Do not ask again. If she is as great a threat as you claim, I will give the order in good time. Do you understand?"

There was only one answer to that question.

"Yes, Princess. I understand. This unworthy servant apologizes for her insolence." But inwardly, she was at peace once again. The time of waiting was almost over. Within a few days, she would at last face victory or death, and either way, the fate of Siensao Zhang Ai would be sealed. The assassin was content.


	37. Destruction of Illusions

**A/N:** Part of the reason for the delay is that this particular bit of the story is critical, so I wanted to make sure all of it fit together as neatly as possible before putting it up. It seems that it does, so updates will be a bit more frequent until I run out of reserve material. As always, kudos to Sylvacoer for editing work and enjoy the show.

* * *

Siensao had never been so thrilled and terrified at the same time. The suffocating blanket of the Silence and the oppression of the Dai Li were cracking, even shattering in places. Ba Sing Se, on the surface a stagnant lake, but with deep, powerful currents below, was growing stormy. It was moving again, beginning to manifest its true strength, darkness, and complexity in very visible ways. Chaos and opportunity went hand in hand and she was going to be one of the focal points around which events flowed and bent. And every moment of every day, her life hung by a thread.

Right now that thread took the form of Xiahou Xin, trailing behind her by a few steps, wearing the humble clothes of a scribe and carrying a writing board, paper, and charcoal stick. The Dai Li Agent had gotten himself assigned as her minder – it having been his idea to put her up as the placeholder for the Grand Secretariat until matters were resolved – and he was insurance against Long Feng's game piece (for so he undoubtedly thought of her) trying to think for herself. To her right was Zoukani, looking official for once in the armor of an Earth Army soldier of the palace guard. Jomei, to her left, was supremely uncomfortable in another set of armor. He'd had to leave his warhammer behind, as an earthbender of that division was not expected to need a weapon beyond what the spirits gave them. Reki, Karida, Spike, and Kyuzo were simply not able to pass as official within the Royal Palace by any stretch of the imagination and were not present.

The group of four was on its way to a meeting that would mean life or death for them and their friends. Long Feng had decided and Siensao, for once, agreed, that it would be foolish for her to talk to the Avatar directly about her appointment. A careful selection of what information was discovered when they raided the former Grand Secretariat's study had sent the Avatar and most of his friends off on various errands, leaving only one of them here in the city. Besides the Avatar himself, the Dai Li's files picked her as the most susceptible to manipulation, optimistic and naïve, but intelligent enough to think she could take care of herself. So now, here Siensao was. If she could convince this person she deserved the post, all was well. If not, her remaining lifespan could be measured in minutes.

They halted before a varnished wooden door, beyond which was the room where the Avatar's friend was currently housed.

"Good luck," Xin said, not without a certain kindness.

"Ah, you'll be fine," Jomei said, grinning. "Knock'em dead."

Zoukani merely smiled.

"Thank you," Siensao said, nodding. She took a deep breath, then knocked on the door. After a moment, it swung open, revealing what lay beyond.

The interior of the room was decadent beyond even the richest rooms in the Zhang Ai estate. A thief would have a seizure at the thought of how much just the ceremonial tea set on the corner table was worth and an artist would swoon upon seeing the artwork adorning everything. For her part, Siensao hid how impressed she was at the strategic layout of the room and the provisions for secret doorways, listening spots, and peepholes. The designers of the palace had thought of everything. But by far the most important feature of the room was the person she had come here to meet.

"Greetings, Lady Katara," Siensao said, bowing low. "There are some important matters which require your attention. May I enter?"

"Sure, come in," the young Water Tribeswoman answered. She had the faintly embarrassed look of those not born to privilege, who disliked the subservience of others. Well and good. Siensao entered, closing the door behind her, studying the girl without appearing to do so.

She looked much as the reports had described. A teenager, Water Tribe, blue and white clothes as they preferred, a pouch of water on her back. The only sign of wealth about her was a silver necklace.

"So what is it?" Katara asked. Sienaso detected a certain hesitance, the resigned politeness of someone who was getting tired of work but was determined to see it through as best she could. Also good. Siensao took her life in her hands and prepared to disobey her orders.

"I have something to say and a request to make of you," she said, shedding the 'humble servant' persona and straightening up, speaking as one equal to another. That got Katara's attention, breaking her out of the 'routine servant thing' mindset.

"Okay," Katara said, frowning slightly. "What is it you have to say?"

"I am a criminal," Siensao said, imagining the Dai Li watchers behind the walls trying to suppress their conniption fits upon hearing _that_. "I am the heir to and a participant in the activities of the Zhang Ai Syndicate, one of the four largest syndicates in Ba Sing Se. Our collective crimes encompass virtually the entire code of law of the city and until now, I have wholeheartedly supported what we do. I still do, for that matter, crime isn't going to organize, regulate, and otherwise control itself and it's surprising how much more order there is when we're involved. That's what I have to say."

Katara looked shocked, to put it mildly.

"What-are you crazy?! Why are you telling me this?! You just walk in here and say something like that and you have a request to make of me? How does that work?!"

"I'm telling you this," Siensao said calmly, "so that if anything I do displeases you, you may have me executed. I was not ordered to tell you, this is my choice. I was sent by the Council of Five to make this request of you: Recommend me to the Earth King for the post of Grand Secretariat. With Long Feng imprisoned, the post is vacant."

She held up a hand to nip Katara's next outburst in the bud. "Wait! Hear me out before you say no. You've seen how Ba Sing Se was before you and the Avatar came, it was a tyranny of oppression and silence and a certain kind of order. Long Feng kept all the factions in the city balanced, busy, and sometimes at each other's throats to keep that order intact. Now he's gone, and that order isn't going to last until the end of today unless we act. The syndicates will think this is their big chance to infiltrate the Royal Palace and exert more control, or start another round of wars between themselves. The noble houses will start scheming for power and the royal family might just decide there's one of them better suited to sit on the Jade Throne than the current Earth King. The commoners might see this as their time to regain their lost rights, by force if necessary. The last time that happened, it took Avatar Kyoshi to restore peace, and these days, they outnumber the military garrison a thousand to one at least. To put it bluntly, Lady Katara, you and this fledgling movement for good you've created _need help_ keeping what you've won. I'm here to provide it to you."

She fell silent and let Katara absorb all that she had said and its implications. The best part was, it was all true. Eventually, the waterbender came to a resolution.

"What's in this for you?" she asked, her frown deeper now. "If you're such a criminal, why are you offering to help? Is this about money? Are you just going to use your new power to do the opposite of what you say you will?"

"Lady Katara, I just handed you my death sentence, if you ever suspect I'm not doing what I've promised," Siensao said, letting a little of her fear bleed into her performance. That wasn't hard. "This was the only way I could think of to make you understand the situation I'm in! As soon as you or your allies find someone you think is better qualified for the post, I'll resign! I don't want to be here, cleaning up the Avatar's mess! I'm here because the Council of Five told me to be here or else. They'll deny it if you ask them, it would be a terrible loss of face for them to admit to even speaking with a criminal like me, but they're why I'm here. So I'm giving you the same leverage they have on me, because, hey, why not?! I'll do the best I can to keep this city from dissolving into all-out chaos and war because I like it better that way. If you'd rather take your chances and pick someone else, fine! They'll have me executed for not doing my job and convincing you I'm the right person for the post, but it's not like I had much to live for anyway. So go ahead, just get it over with. I'm…" She swallowed hard, looking down. Her voice grew very quiet. "I'm tired of being afraid all the time ever since they told me what I had to do. Just end it, please." That was it, that final crack in the shell, that vulnerability that would snare Katara. She was a healer, she needed to believe that people were good at heart and they could be redeemed. And it was true, she was taking an enormous risk. This wasn't at all what she was supposed to be saying and even if Katara agreed, she might well be in a lot of trouble. But what worked, worked.

"Wait, wait just a minute, I don't want you to die!" Katara said, recoiling at the idea. "It's just..."

"Just what? What more do you want from me?" Siensao said bitterly.

Katara got another unique look on her face, one that brought a secret joy to the merchant's heart. That was the look that she'd seen on Jomei's face many times and Kyuzo's as well. That was the look that said _I'm going to regret this somehow._ The waterbender sighed.

"Look, I'll tell the Earth King you should have the job. Aang and Sokka will be back in a week anyway and we'll figure something out for you then, something that doesn't involve dying. Okay?" She tried on a kindly smile and Siensao made a sad attempt at imitating it.

"Thank you, Lady Katara. I truly appreciate this. You're too kind to someone like me."

"I don't think so," Katara said confidently. "I think you're better than you think you are. Maybe this job will be what you need to leave this syndicate of yours. It's never too late, you know. Is there anything else you want to say?"

_Sure,_ Siensao thought, _there's plenty I'd love to say except if I do, they'll kill me. Execute Long Feng now, not two weeks from now! Do a background check on these 'Kyoshi Warriors' wandering the palace that claim they're your friends whom I'm specifically not supposed to investigate! Do not, for the love of heaven, tell the Earth King anything about whatever plans you have for the war!_

"No," she said aloud, "I guess that's it. If you'll write out your recommendation – there's a scribe waiting outside – then I really should get to work, I suppose."

And a minute later, she was off along the corridors again.

"You owe me a silver piece," Jomei said to Xin. The Dai Li agent dug the coin out of a pocket and handed it over, chuckling.

"What was the bet?" Siensao asked.

"Xin said it'd take you ten minutes to convince her," Jomei said. "I said you'd do it in five."

* * *

The assassin finished her report and awaited orders. Said orders were not long in coming.

"Now that order is being maintained, we need to begin preparations to break it when the time comes for invasion," Azula said. "Scout out the syndicates, the noble families, the royal family, and any commoners that might pose a major threat to stability, and lay the foundations for a moment of chaos that the Fire Nation can step in and calm. Find out what it will take to start a war among the syndicates. Identify which nobles are ambitious, how to encourage their ambition, and how to kill them as swiftly as possible. Come up with a plan to kill the Earth King's immediate relatives and capture or coerce the rest into compliance. And find out what it will take to spur the commoners into violent action, though that may or may not be necessary, depending on our success in other areas. And lastly, keep an eye on your target. We don't want her exceeding her mandate. If she does, you have my permission to eliminate her. Make it look like an accident, if possible. If not…I'll understand. You may make use of the Dai Li for your work so long as it doesn't conflict with my own efforts."

If the assassin could have felt anything, she would have felt pride at serving one such as the princess. Her plan was as good as anything the assassin herself could have come up with.

"It will be done, Princess," she said. "May this humble servant be permitted a question?"

Azula arched an eyebrow.

"One question. And it had better be a good one."

"What will you be doing while I carry out your orders? I ask so I may better coordinate my activities with yours and avoid duplication of effort."

"Very well, I suppose I'll answer that. I'll be taking care of the military and government forces within the palace. The palace guard, the Council of Five, the various ministers and officials who might make trouble, and the Earth King, of course. Now then, you're dismissed. You have a great deal of work to do and little time, and I will not accept excuses, not even from you."

* * *

Jomei listened to the earth. It was quite possibly the most frustrating, interminable, task he'd ever attempted as far as earthbending went. He was sitting cross-legged on the stony ground of Xin's makeshift training arena in the caverns under the Royal Palace, trying to feel everything about the rock all around him. What he got in return was more or less silence and nothing more than the general presence of his element, which was the same as normal, but there were hints of something else beyond that, just at the edge of his awareness.

Maybe once in a half hour, like a faint whisper, he sensed a particular aspect of the earth, a miniscule fracture line, a difference in the type or thickness of the rock in a certain spot, one of the voids a miner sometimes ran into when tunneling down into the depths, things like that.

This time, he tried something else than just listening. When he sensed a fracture line that ended nearby, he raised one hand and slammed it down right on that line. With a sound like a thunderclap, the fracture line broke all the way along its length, and the stone in front of him practically exploded as a fissure opened up in a rough variant of the _Teeth of Stone_ form. It was probably the best result he'd ever gotten from that form.

"It seems you're beginning to understand how perception and spiritual understanding can give you power," Xin noted. Getting to his feet, he repaired the damage with an ease that belied the effort he put into fusing stone together. Then, tucking his arms behind his back in his usual lecturing posture, he went on. "A master earthbender is always conscious of every detail of the earth around him. I've heard the greatest earthbenders can even attract the attention of local earth spirits and that's why some of their techniques are so powerful, but it isn't something I can attest to. Regardless, knowing everything about the earth you have to work with is of immense value, no matter what bending technique you use. You can break it easier, you can make the stone you work with more solid and move large quantities faster, and so on. The list is a long one. Of course, in order to perceive all of this, you must by necessity open your mind to spiritual matters. You become more patient, perceptive, and strong of will and mind. Though sometimes you might not like what you perceive." This last was said more quietly, almost as an afterthought.

Jomei listened carefully. And he did notice something. Xin didn't seem like his usual self. He seemed…worried. Jomei knew he was worried, with him and Siensao being neck-deep in trouble and enemies, and surely Xin had good reason to be worried too. The Dai Li were finished if things kept on as they had been. And that led back to the reason Jomei was suspicious. He knew they were planning something to get back on top, so Xin shouldn't be worried about that. Which at last led to the important question…what was he worried about and why?"

"Something wrong?" he asked. Xin sighed.

"Many things are wrong these days, pupil Jomei. I have no wish to add my troubles to your own."

"Well, you've helped me out a lot," the miner pointed out. "Seems like I ought to return the favor somehow. I'm no good at giving advice, but I can tell you what I think about something."

Xin considered this a moment.

"Let's say that you were working as a steward of a lord's estate. You do your job and you do it well, and your lord respects your work. All is well. But then, your lord is murdered and his foolish younger brother takes over. You know he has never liked you and plans to dismiss you from your post, possibly even imprison or execute you out of fear. Then, one of your old lord's enemies speaks with you and offers you life and service, as well as continued respect, if you will only serve them once they take over the estate. You have only two choices, to chance the foolish lord's displeasure, or betray the trust your old lord placed in you. Which do you choose?"

_So,_ Jomei thought, _someone in Ba Sing Se is going to back the Dai Li if they're made Earth King. Well, that's about what Siensao expected. She'll think of something. I hope._

"That depends on whether or not this new lord is going to fight the Fire Nation," Jomei said. "I don't really care who gets to be Earth King so long as they get off their ass and do something about the army outside the walls."

Xin sighed.

"You're not even going to go along with the metaphor for even a minute? Really?" But there was a wry smile on his face. "Siensao has been teaching you too well."

"Thanks. So, are you going to answer my question?"

"I think you've answered mine, so there's no need." Xin was as he had been before. Calm. Confident. A Dai Li agent secure in his power and determination. Jomei hoped he did the right thing with that, and the smart thing. As Kyuzo had made so painfully clear, they weren't always the same.

* * *

Siensao staggered into the Grand Secretariat's quarters, which were, oddly enough, very much to her taste, sparse without being severe, elegant without being ostentatious. _Either Long Feng and I are more alike than I thought or he has a good interior decorator._ She slumped into a chair, rubbing at her temples, where the beginnings of a thundering headache were starting up. It had been a long day indeed. _And I thought helping run the syndicate was tough. Let's see, what's the count now…fifteen regicide plots headed off, twenty-three conspiracies or coup plots among the noble houses dealt with, thirty-seven possible sparks for a syndicate war snuffed, one hundred and eighteen infiltration attempts by various people into the palace discovered, six riots in the Lower Ring quelled before they had a chance to grow too large, and one idiot Earth King saved from himself too many times to count when holding court. You'd think Long Feng could have at least had a plan in place for when he died or retired so that whoever took over wouldn't be a complete incompetent. But no, it was all about him, wasn't it? So, the busy work is done. And I still have my real work to do._

Steeling herself for a few more hours of work yet, she stood up again and began sorting through the low-priority messages awaiting her attention. One scroll, tied with a white ribbon and marked with the obscenely boring title _Monthly Fire Watch Reports, Anzhou District_, was the one she wanted, that was the code of the first message from Kei Dao. The little bastard had almost refused to continue working for her because she'd 'gone legit,' but a hefty sum of gold had settled _that_ complaint. Assurance that he'd be arrested and executed if he got caught, like any other criminal preserved the 'thrill of the job', so to speak. Unrolling the scroll, she picked out the complex cipher with practiced ease. It was bare bones, but infinitely more interesting and dangerous than anything else she'd seen today.

_Kyoshi Warriors involved Dai Li. Not sure how. No progress identify. Avatar blind friend prisoner, left yesterday bound southwest. Your reports filtered, naturally. Sent soldiers after, expect them overtake jailers three days, maybe more. Made contact Smiley, conditioned, get results tonight, will send word tomorrow, if I live. Reki, Karida, Spike in place. Fire Nation intelligence reports filtered, Fire Army massing at west Outer Wall, waiting for something. Fire Navy task force gathered near Chameleon Bay, have broken off engagements with East Earth fleet. Will overrun Water Tribe defenders within week if nothing done. Have found loyal commanders/officials and arranged contingency plan for Dai Li overthrow, code phrase 'Tainted Jade.' Not many, though. Think enemy agent at work, good one. Am trying to avoid notice, not sure success. End report._

Siensao scoffed as if in disgust for the benefit of the watchers and tossed the scroll into the fire burning in the fireplace. That was what it was there for, much more so than heating the room. She procured a blank scroll and a brush and began composing a reply disguised as a note to the head of the Fire Watch complaining about the lack of detail in his reports, using a different cipher than the one she had just read. If this note was read by her enemies, as it would be, they wouldn't have any basis for comparison. _A Grand Secretariat's work is never done. I hope Reki and the others are doing all right._

* * *

Old Ba Sing Se was the stuff of legends. Older than earthbending, maybe even older than the Avatar. Its vast chambers, caverns, and passageways had been hacked out of the bones of the earth by the sweat and labor of the ancients. The tales claimed that this was done to protect mankind's greatest stronghold from the wrath of the spirits above and the demons below, for in those times, the Spirit World and mortal world had not yet separated completely. Vast and ancient, it had lain empty and silent for thousands of years, until it was forgotten entirely by most of the world. Even the people of Ba Sing Se itself mostly knew nothing of it aside from the name. This made it the ideal place for those who did not wish to be found or observed, and knew of the secret paths down into its depths from the Royal Palace far above. Kei Dao should have felt right at home. But he didn't, not one bit. Something was wrong.

He crept silently down the dark halls without even a glowcrystal chip for light, relying on his other senses and his excellent memory to guide him back to the blanket-lined hole in the wall he was using as a hideout these days. He was more and more certain _someone_ was on his track. It was the sort of thing you came to notice after years in his profession, the things people didn't say when you were busy persuading, bribing, or intimidating them, a kind of intent you could sense from a determined pursuer, a dozen things you saw but didn't know you saw making themselves manifest. He was being tracked and wander as he did through the dark, the feeling wouldn't go away.

He made a spur-of-the-moment decision, abandoning his plan to return to his bolt-hole and instead began making his way up towards the palace. He had a servant's outfit in place for this eventuality. If he couldn't lose his pursuer in this maze, he'd lose himself in the veritable army of other servants scurrying about the halls. He knew if he were up against himself and the other him did that, he'd be very lost. He would bet on his ability to blend in and outlast his follower's memory and endurance any day. Then the sense of _wrongness _spiked abruptly and Kei Dao broke into as quick a sprint as he could, no longer caring for silence. Now was the time to run or die.

So he ran, back into the lighted hallways to increase his speed on the uneven ground. There was a place nearby in the Crystal Catacombs that held a large, square-cut river channel full of fast-flowing water. He could dive into it and let it carry him away. He knew where it came out and he could hold his breath that long. All he needed to do was hold it a little longer, let his pursuer sail on by in the pitch black water, and claw his way back out the way he'd gone in. That would lose anything or anyone.

The sense of _wrongness_ was overpowering now but he was grinning, for he was in his element and no one outwitted Kei Dao on the move. He burst out into the wide, brightly lit cavern, practically flying across the ground towards the river channel. _I can make it, I can make it!_ He was fifty feet away. He was thirty feet away. Twenty. Ten! Five! But as he gathered himself to leap the last few paces, a stone wall shot up in front of him, fifteen feet high at least, too high to jump and too wide to go around in time. He whirled about, drawing poisoned throwing knives and found himself facing a masked woman in dark clothes similar to his own, a sword in one hand.

"You have me at a disadvantage," he said breezily. "Have I killed someone you cared about or something? I sort of lose track after all these years but if you can give me a few details, I'll try and remember."

"You serve Siensao Zhang Ai," she said calmly. "You've been very busy. I want to know what you've been up to."

"Well, let me see, I do seem to recall running a few errands for someone of that name. I dusted the bookshelves, swept the floors, and made off with a very nice Song Dynasty hair pin that nobody was using. Does that make me a criminal?"

"Tell me, Kei Dao," she asked. "Why do you deserve to live?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you're one of those types, eh? What, do they stamp you people out at a factory or something? One of those killer-slash-poets, icy professional, who can never just stab or poison somebody, you have to spend five minutes waxing eloquent first." As he spoke, he began pacing back and forth. "As one professional to another, it's very bad form to let a victim talk. Quite aside from the security risks, they might prove to be very boring conversation." He flashed a grin. "With me, you might wind up doing quite a bit more than that. I can be very persuasive and there's room in my bunk for two if we squeeze."

"Answer the question, please."

"What, you're just going to stand there and keep asking me that? What if I don't want to answer? Or what if I lie? For that matter, what if I answer your question with a question? Why do _you_ deserve to live?"

"If you refuse to answer my question, I see no reason to answer yours."

"Oh, so you want to trade questions? Well, seeing as how you do have the upper hand, I think you should answer first. I don't entirely trust a woman who wears a mask. I can understand why you'd want to kill me, of course. You know, one of my former clients spent five years trying to have me killed? I suppose I should have worded my breakup letter a little better, but I was evading a bounty hunter at the time and wasn't thinking too clearly. Probably should've sent flowers, at least."

"Bragging about your experiences with women isn't going to make it any more likely I won't kill you," she informed him.

"Who said it was a woman?" he answered, entirely too smug for his own good. "So, about my question…?" His pacing was taking him closer and closer to the edge of the stone wall behind him. All he had to do was get to the water and he was home free.

She raised another stone wall to the side of the first.

"Very well," she said. "I'll ask the question again once the Dai Li are done with you." She dropped into her fighting stance again and he raised his hands, throwing knives still in them.

"All right," he said with a shrug. "I surrender. Come on over and cuff me. I deserve whatever I get."

She tried to sink him into the ground and he was forced to jump to the side, hurling the knives in midair, then sprinting for the end of the stone wall. She dodged one knife and blocked the other with her sword, buying him a little time. He was almost there when a massive sheet of stone burst upwards in front of him, rising at least thirty feet high and cutting him off from any chance of getting to the river. _So she was just holding back to make me feel like I had a shot. Bitch. I like her!_

He whirled about and drew more knives, throwing them one after the other as he charged towards her instead, keeping her too occupied to bend again. Drawing his sai, he closed the last few feet separating them, aiming for her head with his right blade whilst attempting to trap her sword with the left. He was almost immediately disabused of the idea of winning there as she nearly took his hand off in the first few seconds of the fight. But so long as he maintained a precise distance, she still couldn't stop to bend again, so it was a test of endurance and positioning. He tried to force the fight to move towards the river, but she was having none of it and maintained her position, pinning him in place. It was a test of endurance now. Who would slip up first? If she'd been trying to kill him, though, he knew he'd be dead by now. She wanted him alive, if possible, and that made survival possible as well.

_Well, I guess it's finally time for the big gamble. Probably it won't work and she'll just lop my head off. Well, I had a good run and Min Liu will inherit quite a bit of gold. But if I survive, oh, then we have possibilities._

He reached up behind his neck and drew out a particular knife, one that he'd kept ready for a long time, and slashed himself across the forearm. Then he dropped his weapons. He could already feel the cut burning as the poison raced through his veins.

"Sorry," he said, still smiling. "But this is a proprietary mixture. I'll sleep for a week and be lucky if I wake up again. Nothing personal, you understand. At the end of that time, I'm guessing you or Siensao will have settled things and I'll work for whoever survives." He yawned. "Wow, that really works…fast…g'night….beautiful…"

He toppled over and everything sank into oblivion.

Yukari pondered her options. He was being truthful about being willing to work for them, and she was always disinclined to waste valuable resources, particularly when the Dai Li were there to ensure his loyalty regardless of what he claimed. But on the other hand, his absence one way or the other would let Siensao know his part in her plan might have been discovered and she would surely spare no effort to find wherever they held him before he could betray her. Short-term security versus a long-term resource. In the end, though, even if he was conditioned, some minds had a way of being slippery and circumventing the limits placed on them. And once the Fire Nation was victorious, he might at some point switch sides again. If victory was not assured, she wouldn't be adverse to making use of imperfect resources, as Princess Azula was not. But with Ba Sing Se and the Earth Kingdom ready to fall, they had no need for an assassin of dubious loyalty, not when there were others who would know whatever information he possessed. It was decided.

Yukari lifted up his unconscious body on a stone slab to waist height, leaving no support under the head and neck, and raised her sword.


	38. Striking the Spark

**A/N: **Apologies for the delay, I know I said I'd be going a bit faster lately. But as always, things seem to interfere. The new job is quite time-consuming. Anyway, I do think I should be able to put up the next chapter pretty shortly. I wouldn't want to keep you in suspense. Thanks to Sylvacoer, particularly for advice on Iroh's character, and enjoy the show.

* * *

Siensao's day began with death. After waking up before dawn and snatching a quick – and hopefully poison-free – breakfast on the way through the palace kitchens, her first order of business was finding out what had happened to Kei Dao, who had failed to show up last night. Nothing about that was good. Sure enough, she was stopped soon after breakfast by a Dai Li agent, one she didn't know.

"Your spy is dead," he said bluntly. "And you're next if we catch another one. I'll be taking over from Agent Xin as your escort, to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again. You aren't here to pry into Dai Li affairs, you're here to keep order in the city. I trust you'll remember that from now on." Xin had no choice but to bow and agree to the order. Siensao kept her face blank and stood up straight, but inside she was hurting from the blow. It was a good one, all right. She had a certain fondness for the cheerful assassin, so far as such things went, but the bigger blow was to her plans, in which he had figured heavily. And if they had someone better than him…well, the thought made her uncomfortable. She knew one woman in particular who had promised they would meet again under lethal circumstances. When she felt able to speak normally, she answered her new minder.

"What makes you think this person was _just_ my spy?" That ought to breed a little paranoia, if she was any judge. He didn't answer. Jomei looked worried and also said nothing. Zoukani wasn't smiling. And so the day went on.

To her surprise, an answer from the Fire Watch arrived for her around mid-morning, delivered by one of the servants. Feigning annoyance, she opened it and read swiftly, muttering to herself as if angry. It was the right cipher, but the calligraphy wasn't Kei Dao's. It was simpler and a bit sloppier. What it had to say, though, was anything but simple.

_Dong Zhuo reporting, on orders from Kei Dao. Kyoshi Warriors Princess Azula and friends, Fire Nation. Plotting overthrow of city with Long Feng. Long Feng planning double-cross, but lacks popular support, unaware of danger. Earth King, Council of Five in danger. Will send additional information as I learn it, look for message from Heijin District Magistrate. End Report._

Siensao suppressed a triumphant smile. _Got you! Finally, concrete information! Kei Dao, I'll put up a statue of you for this when I'm through!_ She should have been afraid. Azula's reputation, what little she had heard of it, was terrifying, just the fact that she'd managed to infiltrate Ba Sing Se proved it was justified. And she had the support of the Dai Li. But now Sienaso knew she was coming, and the merchant still had the resources of the Grand Secretariat at her disposal for another day or two, at least. _Let's see just how good this princess really is._

* * *

Some said knowledge was power. But Xiahou Xin knew exactly how much trouble he was in when they brought him before Azula, and it didn't make him feel any more powerful. Quite the opposite, in fact. He dropped to one knee and bowed before her.

"Agent Xin reporting as ordered, ma'am."

"Tell me, Agent Xin," she said, "how is failure punished among the Dai Li? Being a newcomer here, I don't understand such things as well as I might, you see." He could hear the smirk in her voice, though he kept his eyes firmly on the ground. "

"That would depend on the degree of failure, milady," he said.

"Let's say, failure to carry out an order due to incompetence or lack of skill, shall we?"

"Such a failure would ordinarily be punished by a temporary demotion and reassignment, to be made permanent if the agent is unable to accomplish a punitive mission of some kind, but if said agent clearly didn't fail for lack of trying, some or all of this punishment may be waived at their superior's discretion."

"A very reasonable policy. So then, Agent Xin, convince me this is the case, and I'll permit you to retain your current rank and assign you a task better suited to your abilities. And look me in the eye when you do so."

Xin swallowed hard and looked up. Those penetrating gold eyes bored into him, searching for any sign of falsehood.

"I accompanied the Grand Secretariat during my assigned shift at all times. She wasn't out of my sight or hearing for a moment and I read all correspondence that she wrote or read herself. I saw nothing to indicate communication with a spy."

"In hindsight, how would you speculate she got past your watch?"

Xin couldn't shake the feeling that she knew all the answers to these questions already and any false move would mean his death. He felt sweat trickle down his neck.

"There are hundreds if not thousands of private ciphers in use in Ba Sing Se, milady. In the time I had, I was not able to screen each individual message for signs of one. It's possible a verbal cipher was in use as well during her conversations. Again, I didn't have the ability to record them all."

Azula favored him with a terrifying smile.

"Very clever. It sounds like something you should have anticipated from the beginning, you came up with it so quickly. Why didn't you?"

He was sure she could see him sweating by now, hopefully she would think it was just due to all the stress. _Is she just toying with me before handing me over to Smiley or is she trying to make me confess in some idiot plea for mercy?_

"It would have been impossible to halt all written communication to and from the Grand Secretariat's office without raising suspicion, milady. The Dai Li has many ciphers on file and a random selection of messages was checked for all of them, including those we know are used by the Zhang Ai syndicate. We found nothing. I was aware of the risk, but I felt that secrecy was imperative."

"I see." A deathly silence fell, and those eyes kept burning into him. He was close to cracking, to admitting everything and begging to be spared. The sense that she just _knew_ was overpowering. But eventually, she relented.

"Well, it does sound like you made the best possible decision under the circumstances, so I shall be lenient. Your assignment will be changed from monitoring the Grand Secretariat to assisting in the seizure of the palace. You'll work with Agent Zhuo's group. I understand the two of you know each other."

_And hate each other,_ Xin added, knowing perfectly well that she knew it, too. It was going to be ten times as hard to do anything to help Siensao with him hanging around, just waiting for Xin to screw up. With other agents watching him as well, most of whom probably worked under Smiley, his situation was…less than ideal. But there was one spot of hope in the mess: she suspected, and she was taking precautions, but she didn't know. Not yet, anyway. This did nothing to ease his mind.

"Yes, milady," he said.

"Dismissed."

He rose and left as quickly as he could without hurrying. On his way out, he passed a frightened-looking young woman in servant's clothes. Probably an informant the Dai Li had a hold on. Azula really was making use of every resource.

The assassin shed the mannerisms of fear as the door shut behind her.

"The groundwork is laid, Princess. I am ready to begin at any time."

"Begin now," Azula said sharply. "Your target is proving to be troublesome, so we're going to accelerate the timetable. I want blood in the streets by the end of today, the palace situation taken care of by morning tomorrow, and her eliminated by midday tomorrow. Her usefulness is at an end."

Yukari nodded.

"It will be done, Princess."

Shortly after the assassin left, Azula called in the Dai Li agent who carried her orders to the rest of the organization.

"Isolate the Grand Secretariat from all written communication," she said. "Inform anyone who asks that she's exhausted from all the extra work in the wake of Long Feng's betrayal and needs a day or two to rest. Put her under…unofficial house arrest. If she escapes, I will not be…what is it?"

The agent had a definite worried look.

"I received the report not five minute ago, ma'am," he said. "The Grand Secretariat has left the palace on a tour of inspection for the garrisons on the palace wall."

"And her escort did nothing to stop this?" Azula asked, her voice dangerously soft.

"He could do nothing openly without compromising our plans in public and she ordered him off in front of two hundred soldiers who remain loyal to the Earth King."

"So she is walking the streets of Ba Sing Se, unwatched, with the full authority of her office?!"

The agent winced.

"Yes, ma'am."

Azula laughed, sending a chill down his spine.

"She _is_ scared, isn't she? Good. She'll spend her time building support with the soldiers and gathering troops around her for the strike she thinks is coming. Having her out of the palace will make our activities there much easier. The Earth King is as good as ours. Have the palace division of the Dai Li assemble here tomorrow morning, I wish to address them before we make our move."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, and one more thing. These orders must be carried out to the letter…"

* * *

Reki opened Siensao's message and read. It was brief and to the point.

_Cancel the plans to ambush the Kyoshi Warriors. In fact, don't engage them if at all possible. Instead, I need you to get the Earth King's cousin Xuan to safety, bring him to the barracks of the 2__nd__ Palace Guard regiment's 3__rd__ company, that's where I've set up a temporary headquarters. Tell him I suspect his life is in danger and don't take no for an answer, tie him up and throw him over your shoulder if you have to. Once you're all safe, I'll explain everything. I'm sending a company of soldiers up to meet you at the palace entrance, just get him there and the Dai Li won't be able to get to you without starting things too early. Go now!_

The swordswoman tucked the message into a pocket, having nothing to burn it with, and turned to Karida and Spike.

"We have new orders," she said. "Come with me and I'll explain on the way."

* * *

It was the late afternoon when Siensao first received word that it had begun. Her day was ending with death as well as beginning. This message was from her father.

_The Lower and Middle Rings are at war. Someone talked their way into a gathering of the northern syndicate's leadership disguised as you and killed them all. They attacked us in retaliation and the east and south syndicates have joined the fight as well. I don't know how long the fighting will last, but a few months is the average, as you know, so we won't be able to assist you as we have been doing for that time. Whatever's going on in the palace, I trust you to handle it._

Siensao knew fear in that moment. _Yukari. It has to be. She's here and working with Azula to destabilize the city. They only let me fix things for a few days so they could have chaos at the right moment. Damn!__They'll go after the nobility and royal family next – elimination, coercion, or bribery to shut them up or get them out of the way. Good thing I got word to Reki, that should let me salvage something out of this mess. So long as I have a member of the royal family, it doesn't matter what happens to the Earth King. No one besides the Avatar and his friends cares that much what happens to that idiot in a crisis like this. I wish I could have gotten word to Katara, but they're watching her like a sparrow-hawk. I'm ready for their coup. Let her try and get to me among thousands of soldiers. I'm even ready to snatch one of the Council of Five away from them to give me full military authority. Of course…it'll still be quite a fight. There will be troops loyal to Long Feng as well, I'm out of ways to fend off Yukari, and if she gathers all the Dai Li together from across Ba Sing Se…well, tomorrow is going to be interesting._

* * *

Xiahou Xin's day began with fear. He knew that as soon as Siensao made her move, Azula would know someone within the Dai Li was an informant, and he would be the first person to come to mind. He still felt afraid just thinking about that little speech she gave to them earlier in the morning. She still suspected him. If he was going to get out, it had to be today. There were a couple problems with this. The first was that he couldn't run to Siensao or they'd send someone after him. And sooner or later, they'd find him. The Dai Li were legendary for being able to find people. The second was Smiley, who was always hovering around, looking for the slightest hint of something wrong. No, it was finally time to use the plan he'd come up with all those years ago, when he first joined the Dai Li.

He began by calling in a favor from the palace staff, whom he had helped on several occasions. This involved buying a snack from a specific person and paying with a defaced coin. Defaced, as in it had the character for 'favor' scratched into one side. He would receive hidden passage out of the palace grounds as soon as he found a way to elude his supervisors.

Next, he called in a favor from one of the palace guard. The man would provide a distraction at a certain place and a certain time.

Finally, he made certain the preparations he'd made to the palace itself were still in place and ready. They were. So all that remained was a long, nerve-wracking wait. He was relieved when it ended.

He, Smiley, and two other agents were moving towards the part of the palace where the royal family lived. It was time for those closest in line to inherit to be dealt with, fatally. But as they walked down a certain hallway, they heard the noise of a scuffle nearby and went to investigate.

They found three of the palace guard having a fistfight in one of the storerooms and began forcibly separating them. Xin was the last one left inside. Then he made his move. He stamped a foot and the ceiling and floor of the room collapsed in an avalanche of wood, stone, and choking dust, pulling down everything above it and even breaking through to part of the old city below.

About a half hour after that, Xin was outside the palace and just another Dai Li agent moving through the city streets. Even with earthbenders, they'd spend an hour or so more digging out the rubble before they found no body under it. He had that long to go to ground. He headed for Siensao's temporary headquarters. He'd make his report first, then hide.

* * *

"Glad to see you alive, Xin," Siensao said. She had commandeered the commanding officer's room at the barracks, a map of Ba Sing Se laid out on the table in front of her. Soldiers came and went, bringing news about the dire state of affairs. Riots were breaking out in the Lower Ring as the city watch proved utterly unable to halt the syndicate war and the economy was taking a sharp dive as profits fell because of the fighting and the spreading confirmation of a war with the Fire Nation. The Avatar had seen to that.

"I'm surprised you made it out, but I'm guessing you need someplace to hide," she continued, and Xin nodded. His fear bled into his voice and showed on his face. After having to hide it for so long, he was struggling to hold himself together.

"Yes, I faked my own death, it should hold them for maybe an hour more. After that, they'll be hunting me all through the city. Azula is moving fast, most of the noble houses are neutralized one way or another and the royal family is considerably thinned out. It's good you were able to get Xuan out of there. Is he somewhere safe?"

"I don't know where he is, but my father assures me that he asked for a safe place, though he doesn't know where it is either. It's safer that way. But the soldiers here saw him and can vouch for the fact that I do have him. Go on."

"Katara has been taken prisoner, of course, and I know the coup is planned for today. The Earth King and the Council of Five will be taken out simultaneously. With the Earth King in custody, the Dai Li under her command, and everyone else too busy or hesitant to do anything, Azula can stall them until the Fire Army moves in. There's no chance of Long Feng pulling a double-cross at this point, she has a way of making victory seem…inevitable. And she isn't going to leave him alive like the Avatar did with him. It's still a couple days before the Avatar is expected back. That's all I know."

"I need to know if they plan to ambush any of Council of Five in or near this facility," Siensao said, after only the briefest pause to process the slew of information.

"As a matter of fact, General Sima Yi will be traveling between the palace and the southwest barracks, they'll hit him by one of the sewer grates there. If you can save him, you'll have all the military authority you need to storm the palace, the soldiers will believe him when he says the Dai Li are trying to overthrow the Earth King."

"Then we will. You'd better get going. Head to Jiang Fei's shop, I've been letting him stew about his part in the plot against me for a while now, so he should be ready to do just about any favor to get back in my good graces. Besides, he's your cousin, he'll hide you."

"Just what I was thinking," Xin agreed. "Thank you for everything."

He was about to leave when in walked someone Siensao hadn't expected to see.

"Excuse me," said Iroh, looking rather serious and a little out of breath, "but I must speak with you. I think we have a mutual problem."

"Where's your nephew?" Siensao asked, instantly identifying the missing factor in the equation and already suspecting the answer.

"Imprisoned somewhere inside the palace." Iroh's gaze moved to Xin, who flinched back from its intensity. "Where would they be keeping him?"

"Probably the Crystal Catacombs in Old Ba Sing Se," Xin said, his voice getting a little high with nervousness. "If you were to start at the bottom of the western staircase and tunnel downwards at about a forty-five degree angle towards the east, you should hit them soon enough. I really can't help you, I need to go."

"You can help me," Iroh said. For the first time since Siensao had first seen him, he looked like a general. "And you will. I'm going to seek out the Avatar's help and he may not be inclined to take my word for what I say without positive proof, such as your own testimony. I understand you are afraid. But I ask you to help me save my nephew and this city from the Fire Nation. Will you do that?"

"No." Xin was calm again, the calm of a man who'd looked Death in the face one too many times in the past twenty-four hours.

Siensao blinked, honestly surprised by the Dai Li agent's refusal. _Shit, he was holding it together too well before. Should've realized..._

"I'm leaving now." Xin turned away.

Zoukani, stationed near the room's only door, shifted; Siensao shook her head, once, decisively. "Xin…" she began, straining for the right words.

"Please," Iroh said, old gold eyes fixed on Xin.

"You are the Dragon of the West," the Dai li agent observed quietly. "As a Grand Master, you can certainly order me, a lower-ranked acolyte of our order, to assist you in order to retrieve your nephew from… that…" He stopped, shuddering as he restrained a riot of fear, panic, and rage. "You are a Grand Master. You sought refuge in this city, but only now, now when your kin is in danger, do you move, and demand that we pawns obey your whim-"

"Yes, I do." Iroh's face was hard. He'd ordered thousands of men to march to their deaths in the decades he'd served as the Fire Nation's highest general; to order one more man to do so for the sake of his nephew was not something he'd balk at, Siensao realized.

"Xin, it's wrong for us to ask you do this, but," she said, "we have to. Azula needs to be stopped. If she's not, if we fail… everything you've done for the Order, all the people you've tried to protect, they'll be at the Fire Nation's mercy. For everything we've done, everything we've tried to do, you have to…!"

Xin glanced back at her. "Clever girl," he muttered. "You'd have been called a witch, centuries ago…"

Siensao shrugged. "If that's what I have to be to win."

He chuckled. "Well, we'll see." He bowed deeply to Iroh. "Grand Master, this unworthy disciple is at your disposal."

"Thank you, Master Xin."

"Grand Master Iroh, he's helping you out of obligation to the Order," Siensao stated, making it plain the honorific was only said as a matter of form. "He has served for many years and at great risk to himself for our sake. You will release him safely after you're done."

Iroh regarded her much as he would an opponent across the Pai Sho table. "As it is in my power to do so, it will be done."

* * *

Things were moving too fast for Jomei's liking. One minute they were working with a crime syndicate to fight a secret faction within a secret organization. It confused him, but he was used to it. The next minute they were on the highest level of authority in the Earth Kingdom, trying to stop its capital city from tearing itself apart. And now they were fighting people on same the level as them who were working for the Princess of the Fire Nation. _Well, I did want to get back to fighting the Fire Nation, and this is about as tough as that gets._ He focused on what was in front of him. What was here, now, and that he could deal with. Right now that was saving this general guy.

He and the rest of their group, Siensao included, were waiting at the outskirts of a barracks complex near the south palace wall. He never had gotten around to asking Reki what exactly she had been talking about with learning sandbending a few days ago, and it was nagging at him, particularly so since she was right next to him. But this really wasn't the time to ask and they needed to keep quiet.

The waiting dragged on, of course, but sooner than he expected, Spike spoke up.

"There he is," she said, pointing to an armor-clad man that had just turned the corner and was walking through the narrow street between two buildings. They were standing on stop of one of those buildings, about twenty feet up, with Spike peering over the edge.

Jomei unlimbered his warhammer and of course, his grandfather started talking again.

_There's a choice coming up, a big one. I remember something…don't try and put out the blue fire. You'll get burned. I have no idea what it means, which is very comforting._

_Well, thanks for the useless advice, I'm sure it'll make sense a split second too late,_ Jomei grumbled. Nothing else was forthcoming from his ancestor, so he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

The ambush was planned out perfectly, of course. As the general walked over the sewer grate, a barrage of metal cuffs, trailing chains behind them, burst up through the gaps in the grate and yanked him down onto it, tightening swiftly and pinning him in place. A few seconds later, the grate itself popped up out of the ground, followed by six Dai Li agents. Some of them maintained their hold while others began circling around to properly cuff him.

"What's the meaning of this?!" the general was shouting at them. "This is treason!"

"Go!" Siensao said, and they leapt down off the rooftop.

Jomei punctuated his landing with a blow from his hammer, sending a line of shattering stone furrowing towards one agent. Kyuzo preceded his jump by throwing firebombs, Spike hers with an ice spike. Siensao, Reki, and Zoukani landed well, weapons out, and charged into the fight.

Jomei hit his target, but the man took the blow well, letting go his grip on the general and rolling back to his feet, chains rattling as they retracted into his sleeves. Kyuzo's bombs went off, one in front of and one behind his target and that agent was knocked to the ground. His groan of pain meant he was alive, but he didn't get up. Spike's attack connected squarely, piercing her target through the head and dropping him instantly. With his restraints slackening, Sima Yi planted his feet on the ground and made another effort to free himself.

The remaining four agents reacted with the ruthless organization and discipline that made the Dai Li deadly. Two of them took over restraining Sima Yi, from behind rather than from the wrong side of the grate, and the other two let the grate fall, throwing up a high stone wall between them and their attackers. Doubtless they meant to get the general away at top speed.

In the past, Jomei might have just charged through the wall, but not now. Now he bent the earth under his feet, catapulting himself to the top of the wall. Just as he'd thought, the two agents were clinging to the stone at either end, waiting to ambush him as he came through. Jomei flung the weapon at one of them and the other man had to jump down to avoid it. The blow also broke an opening for his friends. The other agent dropped down onto the ground, firing off both stone gloves as he moved. Jomei was caught on both arms and knew in an instant that he wasn't strong enough to break free.

The other two agents, swiftly sliding along the ground on stone shoes, abruptly plowed into a wide swath of sand and sank to their ankles, along with their prisoner. One of them was grasped by one foot and hauled down into it with a startled yell. Sima Yi yelled too, but his was one of pain as the arm that agent still had cuffed was yanked downwards. Karida, under the sand, stabbed with her sword and the sand turned red. Unlocking his partner's cuff, the remaining agent turned the ground to stone again, trapping Karida inside it, and tried to heave Sima Yi over his shoulder to continue on. Now that he had solid rock under his feet, though, and only had one arm restrained, the general wasn't going to go quietly.

Kyuzo blew through the wall in a second place with a fire blast and Jomei's friends charged through, only to encounter pits that hadn't been there a few seconds ago. Reki and Zoukani leapt them easily, Spike and Siensao caught themselves just in time, and Kyuzo missed the far edge and fell to the bottom of the one he tried to jump. Jomei saw the agent responsible get ready to crush the firebender into pulp.

The agent holding the miner raised one foot and kicked a stone shoe towards his face. With Jomei still securely held, the blow would probably kill him or at least stagger him enough that death would soon follow. Jomei tilted his head back, then jerked it forward, smashing the shoe with his forehead, buying himself a few seconds more. He took inspiration from the move, and, digging his toes into the rock underneath him, ripped free a large chunk of stone and kicked it towards the other man. The agent shattered it with a rising knee strike but in doing so loosened his grip on Jomei's cuffs just enough for the miner to gather all his strength and break out of one, then the other.

Before the second agent could crush Kyuzo, Zoukani threw his spear and the agent had to move aside, giving Siensao and Reki time to reach down and haul the firebender out of the pit, just before its sides slammed together. This, in turn, gave Spike time to move over to where the sewer grate had been torn out of the ground. A deluge of filthy brown water burst up from the wide hole, spiraling towards their enemy.

Sima Yi dug his feet into the ground and stayed put in the face of his captor's attempt at leverage, then went one better, taking hold of the chain with both hands and putting all his strength into hauling on it. Just as the agent was about to lose his contact with the ground, he admitted defeat and released the chain at his end and the general was free once more. The agent sought to end matters decisively, sliding towards Sima Yi as fast as he could go. Sima Yi took advantage of the terrain difficulties he'd seen a moment before and stomped down, dissolving the ground between him and the agent into sand.

Karida burst up out of the ground again, already gathering a sand blast. The agent used the very last bit of stone, just before he ran into sand, to fling himself across the remaining distance, one stone-gloved hand outstretched to crush the general's neck. Sima Yi moved as fast as he could, and somehow got his arm in the way. The sickening _crack!_ of bones breaking split the air and the general let out an involuntary cry of pain. But with the ground under them still sand, that was as far as the agent got. Karida tried to sink him into the depths, but he leapt back from the sinkhole and turned the ground to stone again. Now he faced a two-on-one fight, and Sima Yi's broken arm hadn't diminished his resolve.

Jomei raised a hand and bent his hammer back into his grasp. Then he stepped off the wall, catching himself with his free hand, and used it to catapult himself straight at his enemy. The agent slid aside, crafting new stone gloves and one shoe even as he moved, but Jomei landed hard enough to send a violent tremor through the earth and unbalance him briefly. It was time enough for the miner to rise and bring his hammer around and this time his earth blast didn't miss, sending the other man flying back into the building behind him. He recovered, but his movements were visibly pained.

Spike's attack gave her target little pause, he vanished into the ground, tunneling away somewhere and leaving the rest of the group with nothing to attack.

"There!" Reki called out, pointing to a certain patch of stone. Sure enough, that was exactly where the agent burst upwards, thinking to catch them by surprise while they were rushing forward to Spike's aid, and he ran straight into a fire blast from Kyuzo. He took some of the attack on his gloves, which broke under the force, but it cost him. The fight was beginning to turn against the Dai Li and with a silent signal, both of them withdrew. One of them first slid over to where their fallen comrade was still struggling for breath and picked him up, then both of them catapulted themselves towards where their comrade was hard pressed. Jomei and his friends pursued as fast as they could go.

The agent that faced Karida and Sima Yi made one last effort to deny his prize to anyone, flipping a slab of stone behind the general up and over on top of him, crushing him to the ground. But still Sima Yi resisted with his fading strength, despite the blinding pain in his arm, and it was obvious he wouldn't die in time, not with Karida moving in for the kill. So the third agent reluctantly abandoned his own losing battle and at last, the fight was over.

After being helped up, and with his arm in a sling, General Yi proved very grateful.

"I suspected the Dai Li were going to try something," he said. "But a coup in broad daylight?! The city will tear them apart for this! They must have help, powerful help. Tell me what you know and I'll throw the whole damn palace guard against whoever's responsible for this!"

"Princess Azula of the Fire Nation has infiltrated the palace," Siensao told him bluntly. "She's probably captured the Earth King by now and has complete control over most of the government. However, we managed to extract the heir to the throne and he's somewhere safe. There are soldiers in the western barracks who can vouch for that. With your permission, general, I think it's high time we put a stop to this."

"Agreed. Give me ten minutes to rally the troops here and then we'll head for the western barracks to get the companies there on our side. That will give us two thousand men at least. It should be enough to take on whatever Dai Li are left in the palace and this upstart Fire Nation bitch. Come on, there's no time to waste!"

* * *

For the second time in less than a week, the massive doors of the throne room came crashing down and the men of the palace guard poured through in perfect formation, General Yi at the vanguard and Siensao right behind. They'd faced no opposition as they stormed up the palace steps and through the halls, which was very worrying. Coming to a halt, the general and the merchant confronted the person sitting nonchalantly on the Jade Throne. Two Dai Li agents stood behind it.

"Where's the Earth King?" General Yi demanded. "Tell me now and you won't be harmed."

Azula ignored him and instead spoke to Siensao.

"So nice to finally meet you," she said, with the sort of vicious politeness that mortal enemies sometimes affect. "I'm sorry we never had a chance to really talk. And now we never will." She stood up and stared down the room full of soldiers without a trace of fear. "I'm on a tight schedule, so let's sum things up. The Earth King is where I can get to him before you can, all three of the Avatar's friends are in custody, and the Avatar is next. One of them will die if you speak to me with such insolence again. The waterbender, I think. And if you so much as raise a finger against me, the Earth King will pay the penalty and I'll take this city down in flames around me."

"We have the heir to the throne and he's safe from you," Siensao said. "And our duty to the Earth Kingdom supersedes our duty to its king, as I'm sure General Yi will agree."

"Oh?" Azula said, gesturing to one of the Dai Li agents, who retrieved a small box from behind the throne. "Does he look anything like this?"

Siensao watched and time seemed to slow down as the agent opened the box and lifted out the lifeless head of Xuan, one and only clear heir to the Earth Kingdom. He'd died recently, judging from its condition, within the day. The assembled masses looked on in horror and Azula drank in their despair.

"…how?" Siensao finally whispered into the ghastly quiet. "Not even a Selfless Warrior could have tracked him down, I know it. I made sure he was safe…I was so sure he was all right."

"It turns out that the Dai Li had someone capable of imitating him well enough to fool someone like you, who'd never met him before," Azula said casually. "He was dead before you sent your little team to spirit him away. Now if you'd gone for a second cousin, then we would be having an entirely different discussion. I see why you went for him instead, you didn't want any contention over his claim to the throne, but it was an obvious move. Now then, General Yi, take this traitor and her accomplices into custody. Unless you'd rather your city burned down and the Fire Nation wins anyway. By now there are three divisions reaching the Inner Wall and Chameleon Bay will be overrun shortly. You'll never stem the tide."

Yi was a broken man, his resolve and determination brutally crushed in a matter of minutes. He stared into the face of annihilation and looked away. He couldn't meet Siensao's gaze either.

"I'm sorry," he said, and the soldiers began shifting, visibly reluctant but steeling themselves for the task ahead.

"Goodbye, Siensao," Azula said. "It could have gone the other way."

"…it really could have, couldn't it?" the merchant murmured.

Azula chuckled.

"No, it couldn't. But why speak ill of the dead?"


	39. Mortality of Kingdoms

**A/N:** No, I'm not going to torture you with that cliffhanger for a couple weeks. I did think about it. But I won't. Many thanks to Sylvacoer and do enjoy the show.

* * *

"I know you're planning something bold and stupid," Azula said as the soldiers slowly moved in. "So, General, if they escape, just remember, I can find your family. The rest of you should think about that, too."

In a dramatic play, this would be the breaking point, the final scene to which everything had been building, where the heroes readied themselves for a last, desperate stand that would either win the day, or come to nothing (depending on the mood of the writer). Having resigned herself to death, Siensao felt well within her rights to critique what was going on around her, a detached spectator awaiting the inevitable. _She knows every secret of this place from the Dai Li. There's no way out of here. I might as well just end it now._

Then came the roar of defiance that would startle everyone into action…

The only odd part was someone had usurped Jomei's role

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Kyuzo snarled, pulling the strings that lit up every one of the bombs he was carrying. Startled, the soldiers jumped back, afraid of being caught. Azula's reaction was to attack, unleashing a column of _blue_ fire. Jomei tried to throw up a wall of stone, but simply wasn't fast enough. Part of the blast got through, destroying his defense and throwing him to the ground, his forearms smoking and clothes smoldering in patches. He had, however, bought time for Kyuzo to yank off one of his bandoliers and fling it towards the princess. She shot it down in mid-air with a second fire blast before it even travelled ten feet.

Six firebombs and six flashbangs went off at the same time with a sound like the ceiling shattering and blinding everyone in the throne room. Spike's entire supply of water went into making the shield that had stopped the shrapnel and fire from killing them and now she was helpless. The smoke bombs on the other bandolier, the one Kyuzo still wore, also detonated, and thick black smoke billowed outwards, making it impossible to see. He threw it off as well. Siensao and her friends knew what was coming and weren't blinded. But so did Azula. Jomei was down, Kyuzo had witnessed the sheer firebending power arrayed against them and knew he couldn't block that, Karida didn't have time to make sand, and Spike was out of water. They were dead.

Quite abruptly, the section of floor under them dropped into the earth. Overhead, a third fire blast sizzled by, right where they'd been only a second ago. Standing at the mouth of a tunnel on one side of the new hole in the ground was Xiahou Xin, looking grim. He slid a large stone slab into place overhead, blocking off the smoky throne room. He had only one thing to say.

"_RUN!_"

So they ran, down the narrow tunnel, with Jomei and Xin taking turns blocking it off behind them to hide their trail. It was short, only leading to just outside the throne room, and they didn't dare emerge. They delved deeper, making a new passage into the bedrock below the palace, until at last they were relatively safe. There, in a little bubble of air, lit only by Jomei and Xin's glowcrystals—the agent had thought ahead and brought a whole glowcrystal torch with him—they could at last stop and think.

All of them were covered in dust and exhausted after their narrow escape. They could thank the soldiers' unfamiliarity with Fire Army tactics for that one. Azula had seen through the smoke bomb ploy, but they hadn't and had hesitated for a critical instant, then been blinded by the flashbangs. For a long moment, they just rested, but soon enough, Siensao took a ragged breath and spoke up.

"Thank you, Xin. I owe you a very large favor."

"Hide me from her," he replied grimly. "After Iroh let me go, I went to Jiang Fei's place as I had planned and found my former comrades waiting for me. She must have assumed I'd escaped immediately after hearing about my possible death and laid a trap. I only got out of there because Jiang Fei warned me. He might be dead now." The man was beyond exhausted.

"I think I might have to leave the city," he muttered, as if that realization was just now sinking in. "I might have to leave this part of the Earth Kingdom." Only then did he notice that Siensao wasn't paying attention. She was sitting on the ground, slumped back against one wall, staring off into the distance. It was an expression akin to someone who had just killed for the first time, and everyone there recognized it. But then, most of them were silent too. The unspoken question hung in the air. What now?

"Are you all right, Jomei?" Reki asked, being the first to recover. The miner was clearly in pain, but he nodded, grimacing.

"Yeah, I just caught a few licks of that godsdamned blue fire, that's all. Fucking Grandad…" He held out his arms for examination and Reki saw fresh burns, but none of them serious. He'd have scarring, but so long as he received healing within the day, none of the wounds would go bad. With luck. The miner shrugged. "I've had worse. Everybody else all right?"

There was a general chorus of affirmatives and a nod from Zoukani.

"What now?" Kyuzo asked. "What do we do?"

"What _can_ we do?" Siensao asked, a faint spark of life in her eyes. "Yukari, Azula, and a whole lot of Dai Li will be prowling through the old city looking for the Avatar and Iroh, since I'm sure the kid jumped at the idea of rescuing his friend and now the palace guard will be looking for us, too. I know I told Iroh I'd try and help the little brat, but I can't fight her. None of us can. We just tried. You saw what happened."

"No, no, you can't give up now!" Kyuzo said, alarmed. "You're the only one who can get us out of this! I'm no good at planning things! There's got to be a way for us to win here!"

"Well there fucking isn't!" Siensao snapped back. "That fucking bitch has got everything figured out! Unless you know a way for us to find where she's holding the Earth King, we're fucked! He and the Dai Li are the keys to this whole city and she knew that! This is beyond ridiculous! You've got the best defenses ever built, an army of thousands and you're up against one fourteen-year old girl, and you _lose?!_ HOW DO YOU FUCK THAT UP?!"

"If the Earth King is our weak point, than Azula is her own weak point," Reki said. "If we kill or capture her, her entire strategy falls apart. So long as we can do that before the Fire Army gets here, we can still save the city."

"Oh, yes, brilliant!" Siensao said sarcastically, throwing up her hands. "All hail Reki the unstoppable strategist! We take on a genius firebending prodigy, a Selfless Warrior, and however many Dai Li she's got with her, with the eight of us, half of whom can't bend, in the middle of a cave! A cunning strategy! Attacking an enemy force roughly ten times our strength in a frontal assault! No, wait, not cunning. What's the opposite of that? Oh, that's right, it's FUCKING STUPID!"

"If the Avatar and Iroh are down there and they rescue their friends, that would make the odds more even," Karida pointed out. "Both of them can at least match Azula, and isn't the waterbender supposed to be quite skilled in combat?"

"Only if we can force a battle in a place where there's water," Spike said. "And presuming we find them in time. The old city is vast."

"But we know where to look, we just need to start near the Crystal Catacombs," Jomei said, a little smile appearing on his face.

"And if the Dai Li are spread out searching, it'll take a little while for them to gather and come at us, so Azula and Yukari, if she's even with the princess, would be outnumbered!" Kyuzo said, his spirits perking up.

"I'm not fighting either of them," Xin said calmly. "I'll help you look, but the moment we encounter either of those two, I'm getting out of here. I've been pushing my luck far too much as it is. And before we go anywhere, I'd like that promise of aid from the Zhang Ai syndicate in writing if you should die."

"Of course," Siensao said automatically, extracting paper and a charcoal stick from one of her pockets and scratching down a brief note to her father. "It's the least I can do."

"It is," he agreed. "But thank you nonetheless. Now then, let's get going."

* * *

For each person, the moment was different. For some, it was when they first saw the red and black banners of the Fire Army in the distance. For others, it was when they heard the frantic screaming of those who fled the path of the invaders' relentless march through the streets. For Siensao, the moment the Earth Kingdom fell was just when they finally found Azula, a moment too late. It was when she saw the Avatar die, struck down by a lightning bolt in the back, and the hope of the world died with him.

She and her friends could say nothing because there was nothing to say. The shock was too great. They were stupidly lucky that no one spotted them before they could tear their gaze away and retreat out of the vast cavern. Once they were safely out of sight and hearing, and the shock had faded, all of them knew true despair.

"I told you so," Siensao said, dull weariness permeating her voice as she slumped to the ground again. "We can't beat her. It's over."

"No, it's not!" Jomei snapped back reflexively. "It's never over so long as one person defends the Earth Kingdom! Here I am! It's not over! It's not!"

Spike began laughing quietly, an unnatural, eerie sound like a rusty sword scraping from the scabbard.

"And I told you so long before now," she said to Siensao, glorying in her fruitless victory. "At least you understand what I mean! And to think I was worried I'd have to kill you after you won in spite of bad strategy!"

"Spike, please stop that," Kyuzo begged her, visibly trying to hold back tears. "You're not helping anything." His temper flared briefly. "You're getting in the way of what has to be done!"

"Agreed," Xin said. "We need to get out of the city, now."

"Go on ahead," Siensao said, waving him onwards. "I'll…catch up with you."

"Learn this, Siensao Zhang Ai," Reki said softly. "A true warrior may die. She may be killed. But she is never defeated unless she allows herself to be. You are not dead, so this fight is not over. Do you truly wish death? You are wearing a sword, slit your wrists and be done or stand up and fight."

"No, I don't want to die," Siensao murmured. "But I…Azula—"

"—Is succeeding in getting others to believe she is invincible," Reki interrupted her. "She is not. We merely have yet to find her weakness or find her in a moment of weakness. I think this is the first time you have encountered someone who is your equal or better in challenges of the mind. I remember well when I first met someone who was my better with the sword. There is always someone better. But I beat him, and you will beat her. Stand up." She held out a hand and after a moment, Siensao took it, getting to her feet. A faint spark of life had appeared in her eyes. She knew what had to be done.

"We-" she began, then cleared her throat and tried again. "We need to get out of the city before the Fire Army shows up. There's nowhere in here that will safe for us once Azula starts looking for me in earnest. With the Dai Li involved, we can't even run a resistance movement like we did in Jingzao. Our best bet is probably to head for the ferry port, if we move fast we might make it to Full Moon Bay before the Fire Navy cuts it off. Then it's a simple matter to get to the Si Wong Desert. That's about as safe as we can get from the Fire Nation at this point."

"And then what?" Kyuzo asked bitterly. "We can't hide out in the desert forever."

"I don't know," she answered, remarkably calm given the situation. "I'll think of something once I know more." She glanced at Zoukani, who offered an encouraging smile.

* * *

The nighttime streets of Ba Sing Se were strangely peaceful, ignorant of the earth-shattering events that had taken place less than an hour before. But Sun Shang Zhang Ai had heard the news and, of course, had plans to spirit them away. He also had some unexpected guests who were most anxious to meet them.

"How did you escape Long Feng's dungeons?" Siensao asked, less surprised than curious in an academic sense.

Dongzhou gestured to Akycha, the waterbender.

"You can draw water out of the air if you're skilled enough. He sliced through the lock of our cell and we ran for it during all the confusion. Normally the guards would have stopped us, but some other people were breaking out around the same time. I suppose they must have been important, because no one stopped us. Do you know, I swear one of them must have been able to bend metal, because the iron walls were bent and twisted wherever guards had tried to stop those other prisoners. I'd give quite a bit to know how they managed it."

"And why did you come here?"

"It wasn't my idea," Thai Dei stated. "Just so that's clear."

The old earthbending master shrugged.

"We thought—"

"You thought," Thai Dei corrected him.

"Yes, true. I thought if anyone might be able to stop whatever was going on, you'd be the one. You destroyed my organization, so there wasn't much else I could do. I'm still loyal to the Earth Kingdom, whether or not you believe that." He sighed. "Not that there's much left of it. But I do have a message for you. I stopped by Jiang Fei's place on my way here and he gave me this note for you. He said that General Hao got it to him somehow, the general has known he's White Lotus for years and the two of them have—" He noticed Siensao gesturing for him to speed things up. "Yes, of course you know that already. The point is that General Hao wants the White Lotus to help with a secret plan of some sort and Jiang Fei thinks you're the woman for the job, so he gave me this note for you. It's sealed, though. He doesn't trust me and I don't blame him for that." He produced a small square of paper folded into thirds and handed it over. Siensao practically snatched it out of his hand, broke the seal, and read.

It was almost a physical transformation, the way that hope returned to her. She stood up a little straighter, she was more animated, her eyes lit up again. When she looked up from the note, it was clear to everyone that she was back in action, though still a bit bruised and battered on the inside.

"We have a plan," she said. "Dongzhou, I'm going to need you to stay here in Ba Sing Se and do what you can to undermine Fire Nation occupation and prepare the people for a rebellion. No amount of Fire Nation soldiers can possibly hold a city of millions in a general uprising. You have experience with subversive organizations, you should do fine. Only don't start it until you get the word, either from me or a Grand Master. That is, if you've changed your mind about not interfering with matters."

"I haven't," he said, "I'm leaving to the south. The city of Dekari is still free and if it falls, the jungle hides many secrets. I'm going to preserve some of the White Lotus, no matter what you do. This way, when you're all killed, something of our wisdom will survive."

Siensao shrugged.

"Have it your way. Xin, are you up for the job or would you rather come with us?"

"It's not safe for me in Ba Sing Se," he said, shaking his head. "If I were in her place, I wouldn't stop until I caught such an obviously important spy or had confirmation he'd left the city. It's better if I keep moving and stay far away from you." He sighed. "That being said, I've no interest in wandering the world and doing nothing to stop the Fire Nation. If there's room for me in this new plan of yours, I'll do what I can to help."

"Good," Siensao said, ignoring his pessimism. "I'll dump the resistance job off on my father, then. He enjoys a challenge. Come on everyone, we have a train to catch. Grab whatever you can't bear to leave behind and let's move."

As she led them down the hallway towards their old rooms, leaving Dongzhou and his friends behind, she lowered her voice and kept talking.

"The note is about a secret plan the Avatar and his friends cooked up to invade the Fire Nation capital. Not sure how he thinks we can manage that without a large army, but I guess we'll find out. He's confident it can go on even without the support of the Avatar himself. We're to gather supplies and troops and rendezvous at an Earth Kingdom base on the western coast. Room is limited, so we'll need only the best fighters we can get. Our best course is to head through the Si Wong Desert and link up with the southern resistance near Omashu, by this time they should have some good people, then head south across the mountains to the southern coast and take ship to where we need to be. There's a time limit on this whole thing, so we need to move fast. Questions will have to wait until we're safely out of the city. There's just one thing I need to do."

"And that is?" Kyuzo asked.

"Thank Jiang Fei for this note appropriately, assuming he's still alive and possibly give him some marital help," Siensao answered with an enigmatic smile. "Or at least I can comfort his widow."

* * *

Xiang Chai Fei was still, to put it charitably, a mess. Xin's de-conditioning had left her with all the memories of her years as Joo Dee and a lot of behavioral quirks and patterns that were reluctant to fade. Self-loathing was never a pretty thing. There was a reason why Siensao had taken great care not to let her near any sharp objects. So when Siensao walked into the room where she'd been keeping the girl safe for the past weeks, Xiang Chai was lying in bed, facing away from the door. She didn't bother rolling over.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I think it's high time you got out of this comfortable prison," Siensao said quietly. "You have parents that miss you very much."

Xiang Chai shook her head.

"No, no, I…I can't. I'm sorry. I just can't."

"Normally, I'd give you time in the hands of a skilled healer," Siensao said, "But the city is about to be invaded. If you don't get back now, I can't promise you ever will. If you'd rather see your family before you die, now's your chance."

That got the girl's attention, she sat up, very much alarmed.

"I…no, I don't…I do want to see them, I just...!" She took a deep breath and her face took on the dissonant serenity of Joo Dee once again. She seemed considerably calmer, too.

"You'll have to force me, I'm afraid. I'm terribly sorry, but I don't think I can get there on my own."

Siensao shivered. _I'm sure Jiang Fei will thank me for this…eventually._

"Not a problem, I have a few trustworthy errand runners that can do the job. They'll be along momentarily. If you could get a bit more dressed, that would be nice."

She was about to leave when Xiang Chai said something more.

"Thank you," she said, speaking with her own voice again. "I…I mean that. Thank you."

Siensao shrugged, feeling strangely embarrassed.

"Yes, well…you're welcome, I suppose."

* * *

And so, in the dead of night, Siensao and her friends left Ba Sing Se. The Avatar was dead. The last great stronghold of the Earth Kingdom had fallen.

_I was right after all,_ the merchant mused. _I put my trust in the Avatar's hands…and he dropped it. And now he's dead. Great world-saving destiny, was it, Iroh? Not so much anymore. Azula saw to that and she beat me too just for the sake of completeness. Now it's up to us to do what the Avatar has consistently failed to do. Now it's our turn. Now we do things my way. I'll take a lesson from Azula. To conquer a nation, strike at its leader._


	40. Companions in Misery

**A/N: **Surprise for those of you rereading this story and who remember the original. Originally, I had regular interludes focused on a single character. I think, given the events of the last chapter, that one fits here, only this one deals with more than one character. Thanks to Sylvacoer for editing and enjoy the show.

* * *

Jomei had come to a realization. He—and Reki for that matter—were the kind of people who had to look back. They dwelled on the past, clung to it, used it as a base to stand on. It defined them. It also weighed them down. At least now, neither of them had to bear the weight alone. The two of them were standing together at the aft railing of the ferry, looking back in the direction of Ba Sing Se, where the next day's dawn would herald the victory of the Fire Nation. Overhead, dark clouds obscured the stars and moon. Only the dim lanterns on the boat lit up the night. When Jomei turned towards Reki, all he could see was a black outline.

"You never did tell me what the third option was," he said, lacking anything else of substance to say. "Back in Ba Sing Se, about learning sandbending. I don't really care about that anymore, but I'm still curious."

"What has changed?" Reki asked. "When we first met, you thought learning bending, this path Siensao set you on, was the answer to your problems. What changed your mind?"

"Ba Sing Se? What else?" Jomei murmured. "I thought I had more time than this and you told me I was a fool. I probably should have listened."

"Yes, you should have," she agreed. "I thought death was _all_ that was left for me. You told me I was a fool. I probably should have listened." She shrugged. "We are all fools somehow."

Jomei chuckled.

"Yeah. But what I mean is that I don't have any more time to train, if I ever did in the first place. I'll just have to learn as I go and put everything I've got into the actual fighting. Either the Fire Nation is going down or we are. That's how it is now."

"It took you long enough, but it seems the lesson has finally stuck," Reki said.

"Thanks. So, about the third option? Just for curiosity's sake, if for some reason I ever have the time."

Reki was glad the darkness hid the growing redness coloring her cheeks, but it couldn't hide the awkward tone and hesitance in her voice.

"Yes…well, you recall the first two options."

"Sort of. You either have to be born in the desert or save the life of someone who was, something like that."

"Yes to the first, not necessarily to the second. You may convince a tribesman to swear a blood oath of brotherhood, or sisterhood as the case may be. This is generally done when they feel they could give their life for you and the fastest way to create such feeling is to save theirs. The third option…it is still dependent on finding a sandbender willing to teach you, but it is the fastest and most reliable method for someone not born of the desert."

"Reki, I've never heard you use two words when one will do," Jomei said, a certain kind of wariness prickling at his mind. "Why all this talk? You could've told me three times by now."

"I…am sorry. As I told you earlier, whatever it is that we have…it is new to me and…intimidating."

A half-formed thought began coalescing in Jomei's head.

"Well, you're starting to intimidate me—more than usual, I mean—so if you could hurry up and tell me already, I'd appreciate that."

Reki sighed.

"The people of the desert often do and name things in threes. You have probably noticed how Karida often cites three things in her various oaths and phrases. This is no exception. To learn our secrets, the first option is blood, the second deed, and the third…bond."

Jomei broke out in a cold sweat even as his heart leaped.

"What…_kind_ of bond?" _Spirits, that sounded even stupider than it did in my head._

"…marriage," Reki finally muttered, and went silent. That silence stretched on for quite a while as each of them pondered the word and everything associated with it.

_Well, I did know that when Reki's made up her mind about something, she doesn't mess around,_ Jomei mused. _I suppose it makes sense for her, since she keeps thinking she'll be dead soon._ He was sure his family would be scandalized, but he was probably already banished from Teoro after all the stunts he'd pulled while imprisoned, at least in their minds, and it wasn't as though he would be going back there while there was a war on, anyway. But beyond that his thoughts degenerated, foresight not being one of his strong points.

_Do you want to spend what little remains of your life with her?_ Hanhei asked sarcastically. _That was a rhetorical question, by the way, since you'll be doing that anyway. You might as well complete this disgrace to our family and nation, there's no sense in half measures now._

_Thanks, Grandad,_ Jomei said, for once completely sincere in the sentiment. _That's just what I needed to hear._

_ Yes, I was afraid of that._

For her part, Reki was nervous and trying not to show it. The sensation was not one she had felt for a very long time and she could have gone longer without missing it in the slightest. She felt ridiculous for being afraid at all, but such was life. Life…the idea of it was torture, agony even, but with someone else to share the pain, a sweet agony at least. She wanted more of that. She knew he felt the same. _Why must I be afraid?_

"Are you…um…asking?" he murmured.

"You asked me what the third option was and I told you," she said. "But…yes."

"Does this mean I get to call you 'moon-of-my-life?'" Jomei asked.  
"No it does not!" Reki snapped. "Where did you hear that?!"

"A book Zhu Liang lent me. Does it mean you have to call me 'rain-upon-my-soul?'"

"No!"

"So, I can throw out that whole section of that desert culture book on marriage is what you're saying."

"Yes!" Reki was sure her blushing was visible through the near darkness, her face was burning with embarrassment.

"Good," Jomei said. "I didn't like it anyway. Oh, and, uh, my answer is yes. But you probably already knew that." He laughed nervously.

Then, of course, his newfound faculty with words abruptly ran out.

"So, um…how is the, ah…ceremony going to work? I don't know any priests around here or the customs involved…"

"Does it look like I care?!" Reki asked with biting sarcasm.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure..."

Reki chose the most effective method of shutting him up.

Well, _that_, Jomei knew how to do.

* * *

On a different part of the deck, Xiahou Xin was also looking back at his lost home. Everything he had been no longer seemed to matter. He couldn't be a Dai Li agent anymore. Their main purpose had been rendered irrelevant and they had betrayed the kingdom they had sworn to protect. He was no longer sure what being a White Lotus initiate meant. If Siensao got her way, it might mean something, but in any event, he was no longer in a position to render any kind of service to the Order beyond that of one more earthbender. He couldn't even be a citizen of Ba Sing Se. The only way for him to move forward was into battle, which he had always tried to avoid. The world was just as bleak as the dark waters below.

He heard a set of stealthy footsteps approach across the deck and surreptitiously eased his hands out of his sleeves.

"What is it?" he asked without turning around. The voice that answered him was that of the young waterbender, Spike.

"Now that I'm not the only one to lose everything because of Siensao," Spike said, "I thought we could talk about the future."

"As I understand it, the most recent intelligence report from Shaokai Province had General Xing heavily embattled but still fighting," Xin said, turning around to face her. "He and you appear to have benefitted from her actions."

"She used him and has now abandoned him," Spike said quietly. "Just as she does with everyone once they have served their purpose. All she does is about her, never the Earth Kingdom or the rest of the world. She used you and your city for as long as she could and now that she has been forced out, you too have lost much of your usefulness, as have I now that we're heading to war. One more waterbender or earthbender doesn't mean so much in a war like this, not even those like you and me, and she already knows I'm dangerous to her. Sooner or later, she'll abandon me just like she has everyone else who has become useless. Your time will come, too. I thought you might understand what I mean."

"You know, Nerrivek," Xin said, deliberately using her real name and getting a visible reaction as her expression turned darker, "General Xing kept a file on you, as he does all of his warriors that have visited the mind-healers of Jukana. Siensao had a copy made and took it with her. I've read it, along with her annotations. Would you like to hear what they had to say about you?"

"No!" Spike snapped. "That would betray the general's trust and I have no interest in hearing her lies."

"Then would you like to hear what _I_ think of you and what you're trying to do here?"

"That's why I am here now."

"I think you're someone who knows loyalty binds both ways," Xin said quietly. "You feel Siensao has thoroughly abused your loyalty to the Earth Kingdom and Jukana and only offers her version of the future in return. I think you have a point. What she wants for the Earth Kingdom and what you want isn't the same thing. So I have a question. What makes her different from General Xing? He has amassed great personal power through underhanded tactics and shows little inclination to listen to higher authority if it impedes his goals. If he achieves victory, he'll likely appoint himself governor of the province. While what he wants and what you want are more closely aligned, I'm certain the two of you wouldn't agree on everything. Why is he different from her?"

"He fights for the Earth Kingdom, not himself!" Spike growled.

"How do you know?"

"I know! You won't make me doubt that."

"I'm not trying to. My point, Nerrivek, is that you trust him even though you have no reason to. You don't trust Siensao. I think the reason for that is that Xing has always said everything he does is just and for the good of the Earth Kingdom. Siensao tends not to sugar-coat things so much. She's more open about doing many things for her own reasons and yes, she is doing things for herself as well as for the Earth Kingdom. I think, Nerrivek, you've created a kind of hero in your mind that Siensao can't live up to and isn't trying to because she knows it would be a waste of time. Xing fits a very specific kind of mold, one that you don't know how to live without. That's what I think. Am I correct?"

Spike sighed.

"I should have known you wouldn't understand. You haven't been there. You haven't fought like we have in Shaokai. You get a sense for people and trust your instincts. Siensao can't be trusted. Xing can."

"You don't want to get me started on the implications of fighting a resistance movement at thirteen years of age, Nerrivek" Xin said dryly. "There's a whole section in your file about that. In any event, about your proposal to join forces against Siensao in some way, my answer is no. I also know a thing or two about loyalty. Right now, mine is to her and through her to the Earth Kingdom. Rest assured, if she ever acts against it, I will take action, but I don't consider it a bad thing if by helping herself she helps the world."

Spike looked hesitant.

"I…no, you don't…I…" She winced. "_Please_, you have to do something. She's going to get rid of me soon. I have to be able to report back to the general what kind of person she really is! He has to know! Can you at least protect me from her?"

"Of course," Xin said, nodding. "As I said, loyalty binds both ways. She won't harm you without good cause so long as I'm here."

Spike let out a sigh of relief.

"…thank you. Oh, and you can call me Spike. Everyone else does."

"Possibly I call you Nerrivek because that is your name," Xin said. "Names are important. Spike is a soldier on a mission and much harder to reason with. Nerrivek might actually listen to what I have to say."

Spike turned and walked away and Xin returned to his thoughts. _Xiahou Xin, minister to troubled teenage minds. There will never be a shortage of those, so I suppose there are worse occupations. I think that girl is still going to be trouble._


	41. Eternity of the Desert

**A/N:** The Si Wong Desert Arc is looking to be shorter than the previous three, now that we have somewhere to get to in a hurry. But that doesn't mean nothing important's going to happen, far from it. Thanks to Sylvacoer and enjoy the show.

* * *

Peace. Punishment. Wisdom. Torment. Empty. Overwhelming. All these things and more besides. Such was the Si Wong Desert. A swollen, throbbing sun hammered down like the iron weapon Jomei carried. It beat with red fire upon the land, scorching it raw, peeling, and cracked, like the brand on his back. The last of the badlands and sheltered green hill farms where the tribes carved out territory to provide for their roving bands were behind them. Now they gazed out over the vast dune sea that the tribes called the Empty Quarter.

The sand sea shimmered with unearthly heat, dancing in twisted mirrors before them, making mockery of distance and finding one's way hopeless. One's only marker was the impossibly sharp, black shadow that the blinding light struck out of you, as exact and precise as a cut from Reki's sword, both marking the time of day and pointing the way. It made the passage of time as twisted and unreadable as the far horizon of the dunes.

It was lonely. Unbearably lonely. It forced a man to turn his thoughts and feelings inwards, to reexamine all that he knew, stripping away lies, half-truths, and barriers of thought. And with such clarity came a profound peace. The silence was deafening. None of them dared break it, not even for a few words, as if afraid of whatever spirits were mad enough to dwell within the desolate waste.

It was the tiny cluster of buildings that caused the silence to at last recede. There, at the edge of the dunes, a group of sand sailers and brown stone huts marked the absolute end of Earth Kingdom civilization. Anyone mad enough to try and cross the desert rather than skirt around it came here.

Jomei looked back at the others. He moved his head slowly, for he viewed the world through the narrow slot in the wooden sun goggles Reki had told them in no uncertain terms that they would need. Naturally, she was right. The desert had made them its own already.

Jomei himself had left behind the heavy steel armor of the Earth Kingdom, exchanging it for a loose tunic and pants much like the clothes he'd left Teoro with. He wore foot wrappings in the Si Wong fashion. Not even an earthbender could walk with bare feet on the hot sand. And his Tumen fur cap had finally gone. Too bulky to stuff into a traveling pack, too hot to wear, and honestly, too worn out to be repaired in the time they had, he'd given it to another refugee. Now he had a straw hat back, which eased the sting a little.

Siensao still wore layers of silk, but now the dominant color was white rather than green and gold and she shaded her face with a straw hat like his. The merchant wasn't handling the heat well. Her skin was acquiring a hint of red.

Kyuzo practically basked in the heat and light, and affected a Si Wong-style costume, head wrappings and everything. He looked ridiculous in it, but didn't seem to care. Zoukani bore his own armor still, amazingly enough. It didn't seem to hinder him any, which hardly seemed possible, but no one bothered asking, since he'd only smile back.

Xin's emergency supplies in the event of a sudden need to leave Ba Sing Se included a change of clothes, a plain green and brown commoner's outfit, and he'd removed the green tassel from his Dai Li hat. He was still conspicuous, just not horribly so.

Reki and Karida were perfectly at home and looked eerily similar, their eyes, the only visible difference between them besides their heights, both rimmed with black kohl. Reki had wound the end of a rag about her half-hand, to hide it entirely, and likewise hid the slashing burn scar on her cheek, covering her face so only the eyes showed. But just by her eyes, Jomei could finally read a little of the thoughts behind them. And he could tell that behind her veil, she occasionally smiled a little. This was home. This was where she would die, if die she did. Karida, by contrast, had only sorrow for the land of her birth.

"There are men of the Hami tribe here," Reki said, pointing to the craft ahead. "You can tell by the design of the sailers."

"So, do we tell them who we are?" Siensao asked. "Or is there a way to get passage without that?" The merchant had only skirted the desert on her road south before and knew little of its customs. She was anxious to learn how to trade like a tribeswoman.

Reki shook her head.

"Only very foolish tribesmen would take strangers across the desert without knowing who they are. If the passengers don't feel like talking, they can walk back the way they came. To know what kind of people you're looking at spending a few weeks with out in the Empty Quarter…that's important. If you're only here to talk with the tribes, they don't care who you are or what you've done, but seeking passage is different. No, we'll make our stand here. If it comes to it, just tell them you didn't know who I was. They'll believe that."

"Not going to happen," Jomei said.

"I know," Reki said, rolling her eyes. "But you will go along with Karida's plan."

"...Yeah."

"Good."

* * *

The place of meeting was a little oasis of sound in the desert silence. In many ways, it resembled the many taverns Jomei had seen on their trip across the Earth Kingdom. He still didn't drink anything besides water, though.

Their prospective transporter was a smaller tribesman, browned and wrinkled from the sun and scouring wind. His cheery demeanor was offset by the short, curved knife he stabbed into the tabletop next to him and left there throughout the conversation. The battered surface showed evidence of similar activity throughout its history.

"Welcome to Half-Full Oasis, friends," he said warmly. "I have heard you seek to cross the Empty Quarter, yes? Well, it will be a bit of a strain for my poor sand sailer to carry eight people, but this I can manage, were I inclined. Am I inclined? That remains to be seen. But enough of business, let us talk of other matters before we are forced to put aside goodwill and screech like old women. A little warmth between ourselves before that will let us remain friends, yes? I see you have two of the desert among you. Peace be upon you, kinswomen, and Shenshai's mercy and blessings."

"Alas, we are hardly deserving of such a thing, kinsman, but the thought does you honor," Karida answered, bowing her head. "Indeed, we are but poor supplicants in this land, with no skilled swords, sand sorcerers, or silver speech to our name. How then can we trouble you with the burden of passage? You are wise to suggest speaking of other things, for to talk of our destination would bring nothing but sorrow."

Siensao watched, no doubt committing every detail of the negotiation to memory for future reference. Reki rolled her eyes at the formalities.

The tribesman laughed.

"I think it is humor you are lacking, for your speech is a delight to the ear and your swords, I am sure, are as skilled as any within the sands. Ah, you will pardon my wretched manners. I have yet to give you my name, don't I? I am Ghassan al-Malik of the Jita tribe."

"I am Karida al-Fadil of the Jita tribe. This meeting bears the touch of destiny, for two of the Jita to meet this far from home. A wind of welcoming is at your back, Ghassan al-Malik, say what you will. These are my friends and comrades in fortune and misfortune." A brief round of introductions ensued as the group gave their names and professions. The only snag came when Reki's turn came. Naturally, she went last.

"Call me Reki," she said, and nothing more.

He laughed in a disbelieving way.

"Oh, so you fancy yourself a legend, do you? Shouldn't you have a few more fingers on your left wrist, there? And you drink water, just as I do, did not the demon of the desert only quench her thirst with blood? You will pardon my impudence, but you cannot be her. I grant that you are formidable to have come so far, but I had the great misfortune to meet the woman of whom you speak once, and the difference is as between a candle and the sun. Well, I shall call you Reki anyway, if only to put a name to such boldness." He turned back to Karida. "This is well, now we are known to one another. I must again presume upon your kindness and trouble you with my offer of transport. I tell you, it can be done, it must be done for such a brave company, no matter where you are bound. Such resolve must be aided."

"How can this be?" Karida asked, raising her hands, palms upwards. "How can we be so resolved when our only desire is to return to the home of the Jita, where there is safety, water, and shade? This is not resolve, but cowardice, and I cannot ask you to aid it."

Jomei was beginning to see why Reki disliked the Si Wong manner of speech.

"No, my friend, that is wisdom," Ghassan corrected Karida. "The wisdom to seek shade at midday, I might say. That is the double-edged sword of insight and forethought you wield, and the shield of sensibility. What else would drive you to seek out the home of the Jita?"

"You are keen, but still you are mistaken," Karida said, shaking her head sadly. "We only seek such safety to convince others to abandon it to pursue a mad quest against the devouring steel of the Fire Nation. We mean to whisper venom into the ear of the Jita chieftain, indeed, all tribes who bend an ear to listen, and loose them against the black fires in the south. This is worse than foolishness and must be avoided at all costs. I must insist that you have nothing to do with us. Such a noble soul must not be corrupted by our presence."

Ghassan grew more solemn and serious.

"Ah, but I am not so noble and virtuous as you say, more is the pity. Besides which, if the Jita and other tribes are sensible, your poisonous words will fall upon deaf ears and the fires of war burn to ash in the hearts of those with whom you speak. It is quite mad, but then, the Blood Drinker was maddest among mortals and she was mightiest in war, so perhaps your madness has wisdom hiding within it that I cannot see, or that even you cannot see. For the final time, I demand the right to provide passage."

"You show the resolve that we so clearly lack," Karida said, bowing her head once more. "We cannot deny you with words, but perhaps with wealth we might, for we are poor by any measure and cannot meet a fair price."

"What is fair?" Ghassan asked, waving a hand dismissively. "Merely a puff of thought, always changing. I am sure my price could be met by one such as you. Perhaps we might discuss it over some tea?"

_And give you a chance to see our money and how much we're willing to spend on tea?_ Siensao mused. _Why not?_

"I have been without such a treat for far too long and would welcome it greatly," Karida agreed.

"Before this, though, there is yet one more thing that troubles me," Ghassan warned. "I know you beyond doubt. The tales are yet told of a scarred sandbender who tried to braid the desert together like a rope. But you never returned from the west and so all your work is unraveling. One cannot but wonder why it is you are here?"

Karida sighed.

"I don't know yet. But I don't think I'll be leaving again. I have walked the burning path of judgment and watered the ashes with tears and blood. Through trials, I have come to know where my destiny leads, and it is surely here once again. But I have not arrived yet."

"Hm. It will cause a great deal of trouble for me if you are known to any other while crossing the Empty Quarter. Will you swear to it that you will take the blame upon yourself if such a thing comes to pass? I am a poor man when it comes to courage, you see, clinging to life like a child with a toy."

"That I will swear," Karida promised, bowing her head. "May Shenshai judge me harshly should I break my word."

"It is done," Ghassan said, all smiles again. "We shall depart when the Fiery Eye begins to close, yes? And in the meantime, we shall continue to learn something of each other. You shall ask me questions and I shall tell you lies and tales of the Si Wong. Then I shall do the same with you. After our price is agreed on, of course."

"You should be careful," Xin noted with a wry smile. "Some of us are excellent liars."

"And some of us have tales you would not want to hear," Spike said, stone-faced.

Before they could speak more, one of the other tribesmen approached them, looking angry.

"Blood Drinker," he said accusingly, pointing at Reki, who looked back at him with an utter lack of concern and said nothing. Spike opened her waterskin, Xin took his hands out of his sleeves, Kyuzo flexed his own hands, and Siensao and Spike casually shifted so they could better get at their weapons. Jomei controlled himself and waited.

"I know you're her!" he went on. "You just said your name was Reki and I'll bet you're hiding a hand under those wraps!"

"You would lose your bet and I said he could call me Reki. I did not say that it was my name," Reki said disdainfully. "Are you deaf or stupid or both?"

"Show me your ears," he challenged, which brought on mutterings from around the tent. The question was a deadly insult if the person in question wasn't an exile, but now that it had been posed, Reki was bound to acquiesce if he didn't take back the challenge. She took a sip of water and stood up, spitting him with a glare. He took a step back, startled at the sudden change in attitude.

"If I understand you correctly," she said, "you believe me to be one of the most insane, sadistic, and bloodthirsty warlords ever to stalk the sands. Someone who would think very little of killing you, your friends, and everyone in this entire oasis on a whim. And your plan is to call this person out on being exactly who they are. How, exactly, did you plan to survive the results? If I am who you believe me to be, I would kill everyone except you and blame you for the deaths so you would live the rest of your life in exile for a crime you didn't commit. Even if I am not, I might merely lead you into the Empty Quarter and see how long it takes you to die without water. Whatever you are thinking, you had better think again. You had better realize precisely what a bad idea this is and what a deadly mistake you are making. I think you should take back that question before I truly do take offense." A tense silence hung in the air as the other man's mouth worked, but no words came out.

"I said," Reki growled, "_take it back. Now_."

"I…apologize and beg that you think no more of such a question," the tribesman managed to get out. No one looked inclined to follow in his footsteps, but now everyone regarded Reki with a new wariness and suspicion. Siensao suppressed a sigh. Jomei just looked on, grinning like a fool. Desperate for something to distract both Reki and the crowd, the tribesman pointed to Karida.

"Ah! I recognize you, too! You vanished months ago and never returned. Have you returned to make good on your promise? Have you slain the Blood Drinker?"

Karida made a split-second decision. _Sorry, Jomei, but it looks like we're going with that plan after all._

"I have defeated her," she said, bowing her head. "I'm on my way back to my tribe to present to them the proof."

"That's wonderful news! Then it means that your friend isn't…" He trailed off, abandoning the second thought as he saw Reki glaring at him again. "Um, we would be honored to escort you across Hami lands. Otherwise, I fear you might face death. There are many who think you abandoned us out of shame at your failure." Left unspoken was the thought that he and his friends might be among the very same doubters and this way, they could keep an eye on her. But they had little choice.

Karida nodded.

"You have my thanks. The gift of safety I return to you. I will lend sword and sand to your aid should the need arise. Until we leave, share our salt and have no fear. I shall tell you of my travels."

* * *

Traveling by sand sailer was like nothing Jomei had ever experienced. He'd gotten sick on ships, had his backside pounded to mush by ostrich-horses, and endured a cramped, dirty train ride. This was the first method of travel other than walking that he _liked_. He liked it quite a bit, in fact. The lightweight wooden craft flew along on broad runners across the dunes, powered by a small whirlwind of sand and the wind that blew off it. It was fast, relatively smooth, and open to the warm wind. The weight of the desert still pressed in upon him, but it was much more bearable when you felt you were actually getting somewhere.

They raced up the sides of massive dunes, only to slow to a near crawl so that when they reached the ridge, they wouldn't fly off into the air and splinter the sailer upon landing. Instead, they tilted downwards sharply and flew off, without even needing the whirlwind to speed them along. They had a compass instead of just the sun to guide them, so they could travel before dawn and after dusk, or even at night, under the bright light of the moon. Jomei sat back on the broad passenger's bench and enjoyed the ride.

Karida had taken over the job of powering the sand sailer for a while, letting Ghassan rest. The amiable guide was sitting next to the rest of the group and chatting away about any subject that crossed his mind. Then at last Siensao decided she had learned enough and it was time to start practicing.

"Have you ever been to Ba Sing Se?" she asked. "The city is quite beautiful in autumn, when the leaves change colors."

"Ba Sing Se?" Ghassan laughed. "I have never been outside the desert, but even here, we hear much of the great capital of the Earth Kingdom. I would like to journey there someday, but such a trip would come at great cost and I am greedy man, I am afraid. It is another of my faults."

"Well, there is an inn that has very reasonable prices. It's called the Garden Gate. If you knock at their door, you may be assured of excellent service."

He raised an eyebrow, still smiling.

"I have not heard of this place. But I have eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries. Welcome, sister. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets. I was wondering when you would get around to asking me. I have heard of the Closed Fist and your long struggle. I hear a great deal. News crosses the desert as fast as the executioner's sword. I bear news from the Grand Lotus of the Flame."

"He's still alive?" Xin asked, surprised. "I would have thought Azula took care of him as soon as she could."

Ghassan shrugged.

"A member of the royal family, even one in disgrace, cannot simply be executed. Or perhaps the Fire Lord wishes a public humiliation before putting him to death. It is not my place to say. I only know that he lives and he has a message for all initiates of the Order."

"What, has he finally taken his head out of his ass and gotten going about the whole 'fighting' thing?" Jomei snorted. "Better late than never, I guess."

"It's not easy to fight against your own nation, you know," Kyuzo put in, frowning. "You've never had to do that."

"What's the situation in the city?" Xin asked.

"The Fire Nation holds it still. The people are cowed, much of the soldiers in the actual city surrendered or were taken prisoner, and the Green Lands between the great walls are quiet. The garrisons on the Outer Wall all act differently. Some surrender, some fortify themselves for a last stand, some leave to join the armies in the field, and still others march towards the city, there to assemble and fight the invaders, no matter the fate of the Earth King."

"And Azula?" he asked, still unable to suppress the faint fear underlying the name.

"Gone like smoke. Returning to her homeland to bask in glory, fame, and renown, the former prince standing at her side and their uncle in chains. The Avatar's body was not recovered, else it too would be in her possession. His friends escaped, who knows where? They have not yet sought the aid of anyone near an initiate, else I would have heard of it."

"What's the message?" Siensao asked, excusing her companions with a slight shrug and a tilt of the head in their direction.

"War," Ghassan said. "What else? With the Grand Lotus of the Earth favoring war as well, the matter is finally decided. The White Lotus is moving. I know nothing of the wider plans, but _you_ have been placed in charge of handling matters within the Fire Nation. I have heard whispers of some mad plan to charge into the heart of that realm, swords drawn. I cannot fathom why anyone thinks it wise, but I trust those wiser than I. Once you reach the southwestern edge of the Si Wong, I expect you will find many messages awaiting you. You should journey to the Fire Nation as quickly as possible if you wish to take fullest advantage of the initiates there."

Siensao's eyes were bright.

"This is great news," she said. "I'll do all I can to repay the Grand Master's trust in me, of course. Do you know anything else of the wider plans?"

Ghassan shrugged.

"The Grand Lotus of the Earth has been given charge of Omashu and the Order's finest benders and warriors are to gather outside Ba Sing Se. Beyond that I know nothing, I'm afraid."

"Hey, what about whoever would have been teaching us on this part of the path?" Jomei put in. "As long as we're passing through, we might as well snag'em, right?"

"I think you would find making the sands bloom an easier task, my friend," Ghassan answered, chuckling. "You have not met the two people in question. One of them is a brother-by-bond of the Jita tribe called Masamune, who hails from the Fire Nation." Kyuzo perked up upon hearing that, listening more closely. "If he has not felt that he should fight in all his time among us, I doubt things are different now. And the other teacher is the honored elder Sharif al-Qasim. She is not a warrior of any sort."

"Of course, it would have to be her," Reki muttered.

"You know her?" Jomei asked.

Reki regarded him steadily.

"She is my aunt," was all she said.

Jomei groaned. _Perfect. Just perfect._


End file.
